Alex Albon’s Williams F1 deal runs until end of 2025 amid Mercedes, Red Bull ‘speculation’

Alex Albon is contracted to Williams until the end of the 2025 F1 season, team principal James Vowles has confirmed.

The Anglo-Thai driver’s long-term future has been the subject of much speculation in recent weeks amid reports first linking him to Ferrari, then Mercedes and even Red Bull.

Former Williams team manager Peter Windsor recently claimed Red Bull have offered Albon a three-year contract to return to the reigning champions in 2025.

The highly-rated 27-year-old has also been linked with Mercedes in the days following confirmation of Lewis Hamilton’s shock switch to Ferrari next year.

But Williams boss Vowles has moved to pour cold water over such rumours by revealing that Albon is tied down until the end of 2025.

Williams had not previously disclosed the length of Albon’s contract, describing it only as a “multi-year” deal.

“Alex is signed at Williams until the end of 2025, that’s signed,” Vowles told media including Crash.net.

“It’s not something I’ve been very public about it, because I don’t feel the need to. So any reports that you are seeing, and there’s one in particular, that individual is speculating at best.

“It is our job in Williams to create an environment for someone of the calibre of Alex - simple as that. I’ve said that from the beginning and I still maintain that.

“He is an incredible driver that deserves his place towards the front. He did drives last year that were no different to some of the champions I’ve worked with.

“He and I have good chats about where we want to move forward, and where we want to move forward is to have our journey together, in this team, for a long time.

“For the situation with Alex, would I stand in his way? I have the responsibility of Williams on my shoulder, that’s the most important thing to me.

“It’s not the responsibility to one individual - in this case Alex - it’s the responsibility to the team.

“So should any decision go that way it’s because I’m clear in my mind that I’ve made decisions I think are correct for the team’s long-term goals, not the short-term.”

Albon, meanwhile, insisted “my whole focus is on Williams and that’s where I see myself”. 

“I’m seeing about the long-term future and the rate of progression is also very important to me, so time will tell,” he added.

“That’s kind of my short-sighted view. Of course things are moving around quite a lot. And there’s a lot of rumours going around but that’s where I am now.”

But when pressed on whether he will still be a Williams driver in 2025, or if he has the option to look elsewhere, Albon cagily responded: “Let’s see. Time will tell.

“My focus is on 2024, let’s say that. My real focus is making sure we make progress for 2025. That’s really where I’m at.

“I realistically want to be with the team, if the team are where I want them to be it will be a long-term contract.

“We are going to go all the way, or nothing. That’s my idea of it.”