We’ve gone the right way to address purity of the sport: Albon

The 2026 Formula One (F1) regulations have come under criticism from drivers for taking the fun out of the racing. The bone of contention has centred on the new hybrid Power Unit, which is 50% electric, irritating drivers, as the cars are energy-starved and can’t be driven at full speed at all times.

In light of this, the FIA and F1 have decided to make tweaks ahead of the next race in Miami in May, and Williams F1 driver Alexander Albon has welcomed the change.

“Positive, definitely towards the right direction. Is it going to fix everything? Likely not, but how much can we actually fix? I think we’ve gone the right way to address a lot of the purity of the sport,” said Albon during an interaction organised by FanCode on Wednesday.

At the same time, the British-born Thai racer echoed the prevalent view in the paddock that these cars are fundamentally different to what F1 used to be.

“Yeah, so basically the biggest thing I think is when you think about karting, when you think about everything we’ve done until this year, to go faster, you just drive as fast as you can. It’s as simple as that. This year, the game has changed, where there are many situations where, by driving slower, you can go faster, and so it lacks the pureness of the sport in many ways,” he said.

In a year where Mercedes has established itself as the best team so far, Williams, running a Mercedes Power Unit, has had a harder time languishing at ninth in the standings after the first three races with two points.

On the team’s target, Albon, who is yet to score, hoped the team could get close to the mid-table by the year-end, which would be a realistic ambition.

“We are on the back foot and not where we want to be. We have an aggressive upgrade plan. Our car is heavy, and the more we can take the weight out, the better position we’ll be in. I believe by the middle of the season to the end of the season, we’re going to catch up to the midfield. That’s, I think, a target for us. And let’s see. The main thing for us is that every race and every upgrade package needs to work. We need to make sure that we’re efficient. Obviously, we have a big gap to close down,” remarked Albon.

(Fans can watch Formula 1 on FanCode)