Alexander Albon Ansusinha is a Thai-British Formula 1 driver currently racing for Williams. Warm, upbeat, and absurdly likeable, Albon has become one of the grid’s most resilient characters — a driver who was thrown into the fire, burned by it, and somehow came back stronger. He’s settled into his role at Williams with calm confidence, but new challenges are circling — and soon we’ll see whether Albon can level up again, or whether the comeback story has hit its ceiling.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Alexander Albon Ansusinha |
| Born | 23 March 1996, London, UK |
| Nationality | Thai (races under Thai license) |
| Current Team | Williams (2022–present) |
| Former Teams | Toro Rosso, Red Bull Racing |
| Car Number | 23 |
| F1 Debut | 2019, Australian Grand Prix |
| Podiums | 2 |
| Best Finish | 3rd (Mugello & Bahrain 2020) |
| Junior Highlight | 3rd in GP3 (2016), 3rd in F2 (2018) |
The Return of Mr. Nice Guy
Alex Albon might be the friendliest face in Formula 1. He’s funny, self-deprecating, generous in interviews — the guy everyone wants to root for. But that easygoing nature hides a brutal history: a Red Bull system that chewed him up, a public fall from grace, and a long, lonely road back to the grid.
He lost the seat next to Verstappen — and honestly, who hasn’t? But while others vanished after that failure, Albon rebuilt. Slowly. Silently. And when Williams gave him a second chance, he didn’t waste it. He became the team’s foundation, outperforming every teammate and pulling results out of a car that had no business scoring points.
But let’s be honest: those teammates weren’t exactly monsters. Nicholas Latifi, Logan Sargeant, even Franco Colapinto — none of them forced Albon to stretch his limits. Franco showed a flash, then faded. But now? Carlos Sainz is coming. And that’s a very different test. A real benchmark. A battle that could finally reveal whether Albon is just a good driver — or a great one who found the right home too late.
Career Timeline: Chaos, Collapse, Comeback
- Junior Years
- Karted against the likes of Leclerc and Verstappen.
- Bounced between Red Bull and Lotus junior schemes.
- Finished 3rd in F2 in 2018 behind Russell and Norris.
- Karted against the likes of Leclerc and Verstappen.
- Toro Rosso & Red Bull (2019–2020)
- Debuted with Toro Rosso in 2019. Impressed immediately.
- Promoted mid-season to Red Bull — paired with Verstappen.
- Flashes of pace, two podiums in 2020 — but never fully clicked.
- Struggled under pressure. Demoted for 2021. Replaced by Pérez.
- Debuted with Toro Rosso in 2019. Impressed immediately.
- Off the Grid (2021)
- Served as Red Bull reserve driver.
- Stayed relevant through DTM and sim work. Never complained. Never quit.
- Served as Red Bull reserve driver.
- Williams Rebuild (2022– )
- Returned to the grid in 2022 with Williams.
- Immediately became team leader. Qualifying brilliance. Strategic awareness.
- Consistently outperformed Latifi, Sargeant, and others.
- Became the smiling face of a team still clawing back toward relevance.
- Returned to the grid in 2022 with Williams.
- The Future: Can He Hold It?
- Carlos Sainz joining Williams is a big test — and a possible threat.
- Albon will finally have a top-level teammate in equal machinery.
- The question now is whether he can stay on top — or whether the Albon era was a moment, not a movement.
- Carlos Sainz joining Williams is a big test — and a possible threat.
The Smile That Fights Back
Alex Albon has been many things: the underdog, the fall guy, the nice one. But through it all, he’s stayed standing. No bitterness. No excuses. Just quiet improvement and gentle defiance.
Now the real battle begins.
Because the thing about F1 is: being nice doesn’t keep your seat. And with Sainz arriving, Albon’s next chapter will require more than charm.
It’ll require teeth.
