F1 News: Alex Albon Confronts Ferrari Rumours - "I'm Just Happy To Hear Those Things"

Alex Albon is rumoured to join Ferrari as Carlos Sainz's replacement once his contract with Williams concludes.

Alex Albon has been glad lately as the Williams racing driver has been receiving compliments in many ways on his performance this season. Moving on to 11 points this season, Albon has been the sole reason Williams is able to stay afloat in seventh place. 

The last race at Silverstone saw him finish in the top three in all three practice sessions. In addition, he qualified for P8 and mirrored that in the Grand Prix. Consequently, rival teams have been eyeing the Thai-British racer to hire once his contract with Williams ends toward the end of 2024. 

Carlos Sainz is contracted to Ferrari for the same time period after which, he is reportedly said to join Sauber, exactly a year before they become Audi's work outfit officially. Quite naturally, Ferrari is looking for options to choose from for 2025. 

Scuderia Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur is said to be impressed by Albon's point-scoring performance in the upgraded FW45 F1 car and rumours are that he could take Sainz's seat in two years time. 

However, Albon has pointed out that these are just rumours that he's not complaining about. When asked if it feels good to hear them, he said: 

“Yes, I would say so. Good rumours are always nice.

“I think it just underscores that the year has been going well so far. I’m just happy to hear those things. Of course it’s just rumours, but I’m not complaining.”

Albon states further that improvements in overall performance are down to the 2023 upgrades and the team in general. He said:

“I know how the car felt last year. I know the areas that we struggled with. The cars don’t change that much. The downforce can change, but the characteristics need a little more time to change.

"I feel like we’ve executed the weekends very well this year. Apart from Melbourne, there haven’t been many moments where we haven’t been able to score points when we had the chance. I have the feeling that I’m driving well, but we’re also making great progress as a team.”

When asked about his thoughts on Alex Albon, Ferrari team boss Vasseur hinted that he was impressed by the Williams racer but that doesn't mean he wants to sign him. He said: 

“If a journalist asks me whether Alexander [Albon] is currently doing a good job, I say yes.

“But, that doesn’t mean I’m interested in signing him.”

There is a high chance that the rumours might come true in two years' time considering Albon's performance on the race track. Obviously, Ferrari would continue to gauge him as the races go by, giving them more time and reasons to take the right decision.