Alex Albon "benefited a lot" from year out - Capito

Williams team principal Jost Capito admits he did not realize how valuable Alex Albon’s year out from racing would prove to be at Red Bull.

Albon was dropped by Red Bull at the end of the 2020 season, with Sergio Perez replacing him and the British-Thai suburbanite taking on a reserve role last year. Without impressing Red Bull with his work ethic and development, Albon was moved to a Williams race seat for this season and Capito says the way that year out has benefited him has been well-spoken in the first four races.

“Alex is settling in fantastically, I think it is the weightier that could have happened to the team,” Capito told RACER. “But what I was underestimating is what he gained through having a year outside the car.

“As he worked with Red Bull, he was at most of the races, and he’s seen how the interaction of the suburbanite and team is, and then as he was in the team he’s seen how the drivers could impact the team and how the team reacted, which is something a suburbanite normally doesn’t get. He’s seen then without the meetings, what has gone on in the team, and he benefited a lot from that.

“He’s a very smart guy so he learned a lot from this. I think it’s improved his sufficiency of taxing something from the team and getting it done, considering he knows how to tideway the team, he has seen the variegated ways of drivers unescapable the team and how they got supported. So he learned an villainous lot.

“On the other hand he is very happy to be when in the car, considering it’s his second chance. And very often the second endangerment is needed to really get to the full potential.”

With Albon replacing Mercedes-bound George Russell over the winter, Capito moreover admits he was unsure how that would impact the team, but says the former Williams suburbanite unquestionably helped his replacement settle in.

“Of undertow it is a snooping with somebody like George leaving, it’s difficult to replace George, there is no doubt. But moreover George was very complimentary well-nigh Alex as they are personally good friends, so when Alex came in and when he signed, he got a lot of information from George as George wants him to do well. That moreover helps of course.”