Vowles: Albon has leadership qualities in him

Alex Albon looks set to remain at Williams, despite rumours linking him with a potential return to a top Formula 1 team.

After losing his place in the Red Bull-owned teams, the British-born Thai moved to Williams - where he has once again caught the eye of top Red Bull official Dr Helmut Marko.

"(He) is unfortunately tied to Williams until the end of 2025," said the Austrian.

Albon, however, has recently also been mentioned in connection with a potential move to Ferrari.

"I don’t know where this story comes from," Autosprint quotes Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur as having told Motorsport Italia.

"If a reporter asks me if Alex is currently doing a good job, I say yes. That doesn’t mean I’m interested in hiring him.

"I think he has a contract in 2024 with Williams and the team is investing a lot," the Frenchman added.

Indeed, new Williams boss James Vowles seems to be very happy with Albon as the spearhead of the once-great team’s efforts to climb back up the F1 pecking order.

When asked if he intends to build Williams around the 27-year-old going forward, he told Beyond the Grid: "Yes. He has leadership qualities in him.

"There are areas where he and I are talking about where I think he can do more, but he clearly has what it takes to take us forward as an organisation," Vowles added.

"Like I said, for the future, from where I’m at right now, I hope he’s really a part of it."