Russell: Albon has done "exceptional job" as Williams F1 replacement
George Russell has hailed Alex Albon for doing an "exceptional job" as his replacement at Williams this year, saying he has “cemented his position” in Formula 1.


Russell left Williams after a three-season stint at the end of last year to join Mercedes, whose junior programme he had been a member of since 2017.
During his final months with Williams, Russell was known to have lobbied with the team for Albon to take his seat after the Anglo-Thai driver dropped off the F1 grid at the end of 2020 following a difficult season with Red Bull.
Since returning to full-time F1 action this year, Albon has impressed by scoring three points for Williams despite the team’s struggles to fight regularly with the rest of the midfield.
Albon made an ambitious tyre strategy work in Australia to pick up a point before finishing ninth in Miami to add to his haul. He also impressed at Imola by fending off AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly and Russell’s Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton to finish 11th.
Russell praised Albon for his start to life back in F1, and pointed to his impressive record through his junior career against many of the top drivers on the grid today.
“Alex has done an exceptional job,” Russell said when asked by Autosport about Albon’s start to the season. "I think there was obviously no secret he had a tough time that Red Bull, but I think all of us, even probably Max [Verstappen] included, just knew how talented Alex was.
“We’ve all raced each other since 2011. Alex was a few years older than us. So he was sort of competing against [Nyck] de Vries at the time, in KF1, I remember and he's always been there.
“He’s always been one of the very best, so it's no surprise to me, and I'm happy to see that he's back in Formula 1, and that he has cemented his position.”

Alex Albon, Williams FW44
Photo by: Carl Bingham / Motorsport Images
Albon has outperformed team-mate Nicholas Latifi so far this season, beating him in qualifying in all six races. Latifi is yet to score any points, recording a best finish of 14th in Miami.
Asked if he saw any similarities between Albon’s displays and how Russell performed during his time at Williams, Latifi said they were “both extremely quick drivers” and he was “under no illusions” over how Albon would get up to speed.
“I raced as his team-mate in 2018 [in Formula 2] and I know just how quick he was,” said Latifi.
“There are obviously some little differences in driving style here and there, which I kind of knew going into the season as well, just from having been team-mates with Alex beforehand.
“I won’t say the driving style secrets because maybe they don't want to disclose that! But it's been great having both them as team-mates.”
Related video

The contrasting temperaments that could prove key in F1 2022's title fight
Binotto: Leclerc enhances ‘myth’ of Ferrari like Gilles Villeneuve

Latest news
Red Bull's latest Mercedes F1 recruits a "statement of intent"
Red Bull says that the latest recruits it has taken from Mercedes to help bolster its Formula 1 engine project are a clear "statement of intent" about its ambitions.
Hamilton's first experience of turning silver into gold
The seven-time Formula 1 world champion has been lumbered with a duff car before the 2022 Mercedes. Back in 2009, McLaren’s alchemists transformed the disastrous MP4-24 into a winning car with Lewis Hamilton at the wheel. And now it’s happening again at his current team, but can the rate of progress be matched this year?
Bottas: 2022 probably my most enjoyable F1 season so far
Valtteri Bottas believes 2022 is "probably the most enjoyable" season he has experienced to date in Formula 1 thanks to stability over his future with Alfa Romeo.
Why Binotto retains faith in his F1 strategy team at Ferrari
Ferrari’s strategy calls may have come under fire at times this Formula 1 season, but team boss Mattia Binotto is far from downbeat about the situation.
Hamilton's first experience of turning silver into gold
The seven-time Formula 1 world champion has been lumbered with a duff car before the 2022 Mercedes. Back in 2009, McLaren’s alchemists transformed the disastrous MP4-24 into a winning car with Lewis Hamilton at the wheel. And now it’s happening again at his current team, but can the rate of progress be matched this year?
Why few could blame Leclerc for following the example of Hamilton’s exit bombshell
OPINION: Ferrari's numerous strategy blunders, as well as some of his own mistakes, have cost Charles Leclerc dearly in the 2022 Formula 1 title battle in the first half of the season. Though he is locked into a deal with Ferrari, few could blame Leclerc if he ultimately wanted to look elsewhere - just as Lewis Hamilton did with McLaren 10 years prior
The other McLaren exile hoping to follow Perez's path to a top F1 seat
After being ditched by McLaren earlier in his F1 career Sergio Perez fought his way back into a seat with a leading team. BEN EDWARDS thinks the same could be happening to another member of the current grid
How studying Schumacher helped make Coulthard a McLaren F1 mainstay
Winner of 13 grands prix including Monaco and survivor of a life-changing plane crash, David Coulthard could be forgiven for having eased into a quiet retirement – but, as MARK GALLAGHER explains, in fact he’s busier than ever, running an award-winning media company and championing diversity in motor racing. Not bad for someone who, by his own admission, wasn’t quite the fastest driver of his generation…
Could F1 move to a future beyond carbonfibre?
Formula 1 has ambitious goals for improving its carbon footprint, but could this include banishing its favoured composite material? PAT SYMONDS considers the alternatives to carbonfibre and what use, if any, those materials have in a Formula 1 setting
How Russell has proven he deserves to be Hamilton's Mercedes heir
He’s fast, he’s smart, and he’s already shown he’s not going to let Max Verstappen intimidate him. George Russell won’t say it, but LUKE SMITH says he’s ready to take the lead at Mercedes when Lewis Hamilton moves on to a quieter life. And – whisper it – Mercedes and Lewis are starting to think so too
The traits that fuelled Alonso's unexpected Aston Martin move
Fernando Alonso’s bombshell switch to Aston Martin sent shockwaves through Formula 1, not least at Alpine that finds itself tangled in a contract standoff with Oscar Piastri. Not shy of a bold career move and with a CV punctuated by them, there were numerous hints that trouble was brewing
The elements Ferrari must resolve to first save face, then win championships
OPINION: Ferrari's Formula 1 title hopes look all but over after another strategic blunder in last week's Hungarian Grand Prix denied Charles Leclerc the chance to fight for victory, while handing it to chief rival Max Verstappen. The Scuderia now faces intense scrutiny over what it must now do to finally become a genuine factor in championship battles