Williams confirms: Alex Albon to drive in 2027 – Carlos Sainz to follow

The Atlassian Williams F1 Team has confirmed that Alex Albon will continue to drive for the team in 2027, reaffirming its commitment to putting Williams back on the winning track.

Since joining Williams in 2022, Alex has been a driving force behind the team’s transformation both on and off the track, and this contract extension is a clear sign that, despite a challenging 2026, both parties believe in the long-term progress being made at Grove.

The 30-year-old’s combative driving style and astute approach have yielded some outstanding results: a string of fifth-place finishes last season helped him secure eighth place in the championship with 73 points, as Williams enjoyed its best season since 2016. He has been a driving force behind the change at Grove as Williams embarked on a comprehensive restructuring programme – investing in the people, tools, technologies and processes needed to compete at the front of the field.

The contract extension comes after the Thai driver secured his place in the Williams history books by becoming the driver with the most race starts for the team. In Barcelona, on his 96th race start, Alex surpassed Nigel Mansell’s long-standing record, before making his 100th start for Williams in Budapest.

Now, Alex and Williams are looking forward to building on this legacy as the team approaches its 50th anniversary in 2027.

Topic of the week

Topic of the week: Aprilia comeback? The truth is: Aprilia never went away!

Four weeks ago, Aprilia headed into the summer break from Germany with a badly injured Marco Bezzecchi. The response came from the heart of British motor racing: ‘Together we are strong!’

Read more

TV program

Live

Zandvoort: 1. Freies Training

FIA Formula One World Championship

21.08.2026 - 12:15

Alex Albon: “Since joining the Atlassian Williams F1 Team in 2022, this team has undergone a transformation that is almost impossible to put into words. A difficult year does not reflect the full picture and only gives me even more motivation to keep working alongside the team and our fans, and to give my all to achieve great things. Our story isn’t over yet, so I’m now fully focused on doing whatever it takes to get us back to the front of the grid.”

Williams Team Principal James Vowles: “I am delighted that Alex and the Atlassian Williams F1 Team are continuing our extraordinary journey together. From day one, Alex has been a driving force behind this transformation project, and we still have a lot ahead of us that we are determined to achieve. Alex is one of the best drivers on the grid and knows better than anyone else the enormous progress we have made in recent years – his contract extension shows that we are both convinced of the direction we are heading in.”

It is expected that Williams will also confirm a new deal with Carlos Sainz in the coming days.