I honestly think if the car is good he is going to stay and I actually believe that’s the best for him. Red Bull rejected him twice now and he also got rid of his Helmet Branding so I think he knows that he shouldn’t. Mercedes is an option but I believe having Williams as his team is what best for him.
@okami3995 um yes but that Drink Company still owns a big Chunk off of that Racing Team so that Sponsorship was basically still partly for Branding him as theirs. With Merc I don’t think he will get the established and treasury Treatment he gets from Williams as they still have an devoted Russel that’s just as good as him. Still I don’t think Merc is gonna be in the Title fray until Reg‘s change 2026. With the uphill evolvement of Williams I think it’s worth a Gamble to stay lead Driver of a Team that needs and appreciates him.
@@Eerazby the time Mercedes are back near the top they'll be booting someone to make room for Antonelli. He's best off staying with Williams. Plus they're on an upward trajectory
@@cpcxgsr you got me , totally didn’t know that. Cheers for pointing that out 👍 Edit: I just got up and realize that totally sounds sarcastic but honestly isn’t sorry 😂
I really hope Williams can make further steps forward in this season. As much as I'd love to see Alex continuing at Williams, a move to Mercedes is likely the best option for him. They probably can give him a car in which he is capable to show his real speed, unlike at Red Bull
Their great Duracell integration was so successful Duracell has bought even a little more territory on the livery. It’s also the only memorable thing about the livery. A good livery is something so easy to do, it’s amazing how few teams nail it.
Wow, that’s brutal what you said about Horner, I understood it was more about his controlling nature over a female staff member… I haven’t heard anything about it being sexual harassment? I love Williams and hope they get back to the front of the grid, I think the new car looks great! 👍
Yeah, for real, I've not actually heard anyone else say that. It feels like certain media posts want everyone to think that is what has happened, to make it easier to hurt Horners reputation
@@ThomasTurner-qp8nvit is honestly impressive how desperate people like you are to downplay sexual harassment that you'd rather believe in a Media conspiracy than a woman
@tilltronje1623 Not everyone is a sexual deviant. All the reports said controlling behaviour. Controlling is not mutually exclusive to the latter. It wouldn't surprise that, the news papers deliberately made a connection with the gender of the employee and the controlling behaviour to make people think it was sexual
Im starting to root more for Williams since James took over and they are no longer the pity team, since Haas took that role, but I can still not take a team seriously that held Latifi for so long and now gives Logan another year.
Due to Nyck going to alpha tauri, Williams had no choice but to bring Logan up. I suppose they could have made an offer to Mick, but honestly he hasn't even been mentioned for the Merc seat. So they brought up Logan a year earlier then planned, and you think they should have just dropped him at the end of the season. A season that say Alpha Tauri/ Redbull get crucified for dropping Nyck half way through the season because it was his "rookie" season. Williams isn't in a position to act like a sink or swim team, they have to give Logan a 2nd season.
Can you name a source of information for that Horner sexual harassment allegations? Because nobody who's anybody mentioned anything sexual about those allegations. This is why I can't take youtubers seriously
James Vowels after Albon leaves for Merc "Hey Komatsu, you guys got a dozer I can borrow for a bit? I'm also gonna need some plate steel and someone that can weld. Cool, thanks."
Whooa there big dog, those are NOT the allegations. The rumour was something to do with coercive controlling behaviour. Might want to edit your voiceover circa 10mins in
If the car's competitive enough this year, I think he might stay at Williams. He has a lot of passion for the team and was able to lift their spirits back up with some very good drives even if the car wasn't good. There's a certain loyalty and identification factor that plays into that and I can see why it would be benefitial for both to stay with each other. But I also could see Alex in Mercedes alongside George, in case the FW46 won't perform well enough
It's definitely a struggle being both a Williams fan and an Alex fan. I can't see anyone else taking that team upwards, but at the same time, I also can't see Alex being a WDC in his career if he only stayed at Williams.
9:37 the hamilton/ferrari contract situation is different than this situation because its the opposite of what williams is doing with alex. hamilton is said to be the one who had the option, not mercedes, so he said he wasnt taking it. albon doesnt have that same easy way out
If he goes for merc. He has to hit the ground running and beat george cause if the hype is real, one of them will be on the chopping block when kimi enters the chat. Hope james really does bring improvements every year.
I said before and I will say it again - i think a serious sleeper option for Mercades' second seat is Nico Hulkenberg. They need a capable but consistent/safe set of hands. Nico provides that with some flashes of brilliance in qualifying that were bogged down by terrible tyre wear. What if his tyres didn't disintegrate faster than old supersofts? He's also likely quite cheap (especially compared to lewis), he's an underappreciated driver that people want to see do well (like checo when he was brought to RB for 2021), and he's aging so he'd likely agree to a shorter contract with beneficial terms for Mercades for the chance at a drive at a top team - meaning he could tide them over to 2026. He also isn't likely to be a persistent challenger to the team or to george as a result, which would let george cut his teeth at genuinely leading the team while nico would still be able to provide experienced feedback. Also, nico is German.
That makes no sense. If they had a car and a number one driver to win all the races like RB do right now, then a safe number two driver who doesn't threaten the number one would make sense. This way, they're going to do everything to get someone who is at least as good as Russel.
@@MyRealName right now they don't need a challenger to Russell, they need someone who will collaborate, not cause problems, and not drain their budget. I can see Albon, J can see Bottas, I can see Mick, and I can see someone like Piastri, but I definitely don't see ocon coming over (or at least that being a smart move) nor do I think Leclerc, Lando, Sainz, etc. would want to. Maybe Perez as well is an option, but still. They want stability, testing time, and no crashing. Having teammates that fight each other is bad for those factors.
@@Ryzard That's not what they want, though. I don't understand why you're saying that when they keep saying they're only thinking about doing something bold and doing what you suggest they should do simply makes no sense in their position. You need stability when consistent race wins are guaranteed. They don't have that. As far as budget is concerned, it makes no sense to get a middle tier driver and get less sponsorship money as well. Just look at everything they did after Bottas' departure and everything they're saying and you'll see what I mean. They never said or even hinted that they would do anything that you just said.
@@MyRealName every team wants stability, and right now they want to get the most out of George. Teams (aside from Ferrari and alpine) nowadays generally are steering clear from direct dunks on their incumbent driver. Look at Williams, look at Haas, look at Aston, look at red bull in 2021 and 2022, look at McLaren, Sauber, etc. Generally they have a more dominant driver and one that is either generally considered less threatening, or is up and coming, like with Piastri and Lando, or what they thought would be Lando and Daniel, or Sebastian and Leclerc. This is just how teams tend to work. Do they want a second driver that sucks? No. But generally, unless you are a historically bad pay driver or a rookie (likely both), you don't outright suck. Nico doesn't suck. As I said, he has clear potential and pace even in a Haas. There's also the potential issue of other drivers liking where they are at. Most drivers considered to be better than Nico are already in team leadership positions or have multi-year contracts already. That's why choices like Albon, Mick, Ocon, Hulkenberg, Perez, Bottas, etc. Are the main possibilities. Unless Mercades somehow poaches Norris/Piastri, goes with Sainz for a clean swap (which would be funny) or Alonso decides to ascend, it's likely in that group for the time being. I can yap for ages while sleep deprived, but point being - Nico has benefits. Do I think he's the best choice on the grid? No. Hence him being a sleeper option - he isn't obvious or the best possible person for the seat, but he does have a surprising amount going for him - including current momentum. When the Haas is able to be competitive, Nico is there almost every time. That isn't necessarily something you can say with Bottas and the Sauber, as much as I like Bottas. Etc. Etc. etc. Consistency and risk management is also not something just for when you are in a winning spot. It's valuable at all times. It's why people were critical of the ocon/gasly pairing. While it's good stats wise, it's bad in terms of having drivers racing each other and butting heads - which they have. Same for George and Lewis just this season - the ultimate example being Lewis hitting George and removing a potential double podium from Mercades' hands. Hell, you can make an argument that throwing all you have behind one driver is done *more* in chasing situations. Look at Alonso at Renault, or max and his array of teammates before 2021, Schumacher's run up to his dominant era at Ferrari, etc. The act of being even and fair and competitive within one's own team from an ownership level often comes more when your cars are 1/2, rather than bouncing around the midfield desperate for points. I see what you mean, and you make a fair point. But again, I was just trying to point out a driver that nobody seems to pay any attention to in this conversation, even for F2/3 drivers. I'm not saying I'm psychic and Nico is gonna go to Merc lol. Sorry for any confusing rambling, I'm fighting sleep.
I'm hoping that Williams can get a Toyota works partnership for 2026, right as they're hopefully hitting their stride aerodynamically. Then we can have Alex in a front-running car again.
The best choice is to wait for the Aston seat when Fernando retires or leaves because that Merc seat is destined for Kimi Antonelli so I doubt they'll give Albon a multi-year.
I think Sargent does have the potential to step up and be worth keeping, it’s just he needs to do it fast and consistently in case he faces the nightmare scenario of Albon staying and Antonelli not skipping straight to Merc
I think that Logan instead of showing glimpses of pace, he showed glimpses of actually being able to drive a car, possibly better than Latifi, maybe. Probably better than Mick would have. Less car parts all over the track anyway. Albon to Mercedes seems better, he's been to RB, got the scars, and the T shirt to prove it. The RB experience may have made him a better driver, but would he end up back in that same place again, that type of stress can be a powerful lead up to failure.
I think Williams will show his true face this year. The last year car was already built before Volwes arrived. If they really perform I think they Albon will3 continue. The 2nd seat will depend of how good Antonelli is this year. If he shows speed Merc will seat him there for a year or 2.
For me Williams always have the best looking cars but we all have our opinions don't we and I want Alex at Mercedes he deserves it he got ripped off by redbull
They’re in a tough position. Alpine are so far ahead in 6th and have more capacity to improve, VCARB were faster by the end of the year and likely to be even faster now with stronger red bull ties, and maybe Stake have worked it out. They will beat Haas though. So they can’t really move up the grid and staying still will be really tough
Don't think he should go to Mercedes... they want to put Kimi in 2026 if he does well in F2 so that would give Alex only 2 years in Mercedes and then would have to find again another seat... I think that Alex should bield a strong relationship with Williams and try to grow with that team!! I think that stability it's better than 2 years in a top team and then again drama
I can’t decide on what I would be more excited for - Albon spearheading a Williams ascend back to competitiveness or a Russell/Albon partnership at Mercedes
Why would Red Bull want Alex next to Max? Marketing wise Ricciardo brings much more and that's at the moment the most important feature in F1. On overall skills Alex might be better but he struggles a lot when a car is set up to Max likings. On a Mercedes move that looks to be a very short therm deal as Antonelli is destined to get that seat sooner than later, but Monster energy drink has switched to McLaren so the Red Bull ties won't be a problem.
I hope Williams does well and continues its forward stride!! If Alex does actually leave i hope Mercedes is where he lands. 2nd choice i would say might be Aston…
If they turn out a half-decent car which looks like it's going to be on an upward trajectory, it wouldn't surprise me if Alex (assuming the choice is the driver's) stays there rather than heads elsewhere to be a number 2 driver, regardless of promises. He's definitely worthy of a seat in a top team, but who is going to be a top team in 2026? Mercedes weren't expected to be #1 in 2014, not by a long shot. Race winners, not competition dominating. It would honestly _not_ surprise me if Williams is a top 3 team in '26, assuming the engine is any good.
Sargent breathing a huge sigh of relief that Albon will move to a team higher up the grid and/or Antonelli gets straight to Mercedes. I hope he does better this year as he does have a good shot at keeping his seat for a 3rd year
i dont think antonelli will go straight to mercedes tho. as iconic as it could be, the amount of pressure in a top team like mercedes to immediately perform might not be good for a rookie also the f2 grid this season is STACKED with a lot of great exciting prospects like bortoleto (which in my opinion is as exciting as antonelli and is too 100% f1 worthy) so the best thing to do is see how it goes
I have a feeling Mercedes might not be too happy if they made a livery that made people think of one of the car companies largest competing car brands lol.
I believe the up-and-coming team of aston suits better, but I don't see the politics-side of the sport allowing that. Honda can make that happen, so make it happen Honda.
Erm bit weird that you called Horner situation “sexual harassment” out loud on a RU-vid channel with 150+k subs when there is no credible source calling it that… but you do you
I think the best thing for Alex to do is stay at Williams. Yes, it's not a top car, it's not even top of the midfield car but let's not forget that they're changing and also let's not forget the 2026 regs changing. If he wants to be a team leader, the only place of the top 5 teams he would do that is Aston Martin with Stroll as his teammate. That's why he should stay in Williams where he's a clear team leader (and will be for the foreseeable future) and wait for the new regs in 2026, because who knows what will happen with them...?
i dont care what anybody says but in my opinion albon is world champion material (of course after the verstappen domination years) and apart from the talent that he obviously has, he’s been through enough in f1 to have a strong mentality against the top drivers from this generation if given a competitive car
I Really see Albon with Mercedes in 2025.. makes more sense. His buddy Russell is there & Toto can easily have headache free days managing both. Only thing. It will test Albon & Russell's friendship no doubt there!
Love Albon. But he does not have a killer instinct when it comes to wheel to wheel racing and overtaking. Best in class: 1. Max 2. Alonso 3. Lewis 4. George Russel 4. Charles.
I think Alex has a good chance to go to Mercedes, and if Kimi Antonelli does well in F2 he might get the step up to f1 and join Williams on loan. I hope Carlos goes to Red Bull and Logan has a good season so he can keep his Williams seat.
I don't think it might be a good idea for Alex to go to Merc. A certain whiny person is supposed to be their future. Hopefully either Williams gets even better or he gets a seat in a team where he can win.
Not sure why people say albon needs to be in mercedes/redbull.last 2years he has beaten the 2 worst drivers on grid as teammates.he is still only of the calibre what he showed at redbull. He shouldn't be anywhere near a top seat unless he beats good quality teamamtes.i doubt williams were more capable than what they showed last yeas as the drivers they had was still poor.
Sorry but Alex isn’t a top calibre driver. There’s no way Mercedes would ever consider him. He’s become a decent midfielder at best but in reality either of the Alpine drivers would eat him for breakfast.
Alex Albon must be the most overrated driver in the history of F1. If he goes to a top team (again) he will look mediocre (again). I’d bet everything I own on this.