Albon: 2022 was my strongest year in Formula 1

Albon was dropped by Red Bull after a difficult 2020 saw him struggling to match team-mate Max Verstappen.

He spent last year racing in the DTM before joining Williams as a replacement for Mercedes-bound George Russell for this season.

He made the points on three occasions, earning ninth place in Melbourne and finishing 10th in both Miami and Spa.

"I think it's been a tricky one in some respects," said Albon when asked by Autosport about his year. "I feel like personally speaking, it's been a very positive year. I think it's been my strongest year in F1. I haven't done many years, but out of the three, it's my strongest one.

"I feel like I've developed as a driver, which is really the main thing. I feel like, with the experience that I've learned over the last few years, I've been able to apply it in the right ways.

"I feel like I've got the most from it. I think it's hard, because at the end of the day I think it's hard for [outsiders] to judge how it's gone. But personally speaking behind the wheel it feels very positive."

Alex Albon, Williams FW44

Photo by: Williams F1

Albon says he has regained the confidence that he lost during his difficult period with Red Bull.

"I believe so. I believe that the main thing is just the confidence with the car, more than anything it's the driving confidence, I feel like I've got that back, which is the most important," he said.

"I feel like this year I've been on top of the car, I feel like I've been able to push it to the limit. And that was something which I struggled a bit with in 2020, just starting to lose that authority on the car, and being able to get what I want out of it.

"I was a little bit reactive in that sense in 2020, just kind of letting the car do its thing and then reacting to that.

"Whereas this year, I just feel like I was able to put the car where I want it. And not to say that it's more stable, because it isn't, it's less stable. But truthfully speaking it felt like, soon as I first drove it, I straightaway felt good in it.

"It's built from there. Each race has gone by I feel like I have more confidence and, of course, the good results helped."

Albon says that a strong opening race in Bahrain, where he made Q2 and qualified 14th, helped to kick-start his season with Williams.

"I feel like Bahrain was a real big turning point. Having a year away and having that kind of sense of a little bit of anxiousness where you just want to get out and get some good performances early into the season to settle the nerves," he explained.

Alex Albon, Williams FW44, Yuki Tsunoda, AlphaTauri AT03, Mick Schumacher, Haas VF-22

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

"I guess the inner, not doubts, but you want to overcome and be that better driver than you once were.

"In Bahrain coming into qualifying straight away we got into Q2 in the first session. That was a really good start to the year. It meant a lot, firstly, after all the headaches of a year out of the sport.

"But to start off straight away, and really feel that the team is straight away behind you, very supportive with the result itself, because it was a very unexpected result at the time.

"It started the season off in a very good way. Straight away you have that confidence. And then you just build on it from there."