Following a chaotic and strategy-heavy 2025 Imola GP, it was Alex Albon who emerged as one of the unexpected stars of the weekend, delivering a sensational performance to bring home another P5 for Williams
This showcases a result that oddly left him feeling disappointed, despite matching his career-best finish for the second race in a row.
Albon reflects after the Imola GP
Speaking after the Imola GP, Albon’s mood was a mix of pride, frustration, and growing curiosity about just how good this Williams package really is.
“Yeah, weird isn’t it? On a pure race we were fighting for a P3, P4, but that’s no safety car, that’s just a pure situation. Obviously, maybe a little bit lucky with the VSC, admittedly, but at the same time got unlucky again on the last safety car. So yeah, back-to-back back P5s and coming away today a bit disappointed, which is a bit strange to say.”
It’s a sentiment that speaks volumes about both Albon’s ambition and the progress Williams have made. The Thai-British driver was in the thick of the action all race long, capitalising on clever strategy and the strength of the car on the new C6 tyre compound to mix it up with the Ferraris, McLarens and even the Mercedes.
After the early Virtual Safety Car handed Verstappen a perfectly timed pit stop, Williams emerged as one of the big beneficiaries, with Albon cycling into a provisional podium position at the Imola GP. But the race’s latter safety car saw fortunes swing again, as Albon dropped to fifth following a second pit stop — a call which arguably cost him a shot at the top three.
The incident with Charles Leclerc
Reflecting on the key moments of his race, Albon said:
“Yeah, I think maybe could have raced Charles [Leclerc] a bit differently, could have done a bit better there, obviously lost out to Lewis [Hamilton], and then maybe could have been a bit more patient with my overtake to Charles.
“I was kind of honestly licking my lips, I thought I could even get Oscar up in front as well, such was the pace and the new tyres we had on the car, so yeah, very happy.”
That optimism wasn’t misplaced. After being forced wide by Leclerc in a hard-fought battle in the closing laps, Albon briefly dropped a place to Hamilton before quickly recovering and pressuring both Ferraris once again. It was a sequence that perhaps cost him the shot at a podium he believes was on the cards, had events unfolded just a little differently.
Looking at the remaining double-header
The bigger picture, however, is where things get even more intriguing. Williams, long the underdog of the grid, have now delivered consecutive top-five finishes, and Albon himself is beginning to wonder if this is more than just a momentary flash of form at the Imola GP.
“It’s a weird one, honestly. I keep telling myself it won’t happen again, it’s this race, and then we go to the next race, and we’re still real quick again, and it’s a bit like, is it circumstantial, is it not?“
Albon added, “I would honestly say Miami and here, we’ve been quick, in my opinion, almost unexpectedly quick this weekend. I expected Miami to be good, but not here, and it kind of opens the window for what else, maybe next week we’re going to be good.
“I actually think Monaco won’t be too bad, I think Barcelona we’re going to struggle, but let’s keep going, enjoying this while it lasts.”
Albon’s grounded approach to Williams’ current form is telling. Despite outperforming expectations and mixing it with the sport’s elite, he remains cautious. But with two standout drives back-to-back and a car that’s proving strong across different circuits and conditions, it may be time to start taking Williams seriously once again.
Next up: Monaco, where chaos often creates opportunity. If Williams and Albon keep this form up, don’t be surprised if we see the number 23 threatening the sharp end of the grid once again.
