Alex Albon excited by potential Formula 1 South African Grand Prix

Albon spent less than 12 hours in the country on a promotional visit amid a month-long roadshow across Cape Town, Durban and Joburg as he became the first active Williams team driver to touchdown in the country since Alan Prost's win at Kyalami in 1993. 

The Thai racer reflected on having once lived in Hyde Park, in the north of Johannesburg, for a brief period circa 1996-1997, and is looking forward to potentially competing here following an introductory conversation with President Cyril Ramaphosa.

"I lived here in South Africa for about a year and a half, so I guess it's not my first time, but at the same time just hearing and feeling the passion for the first time has been eye-opening for me. We just met with the President to talk about the possibility of having a South African Grand Prix and I must say it's very exciting so let's see what the future holds."

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South Africa are involved in ongoing discussions with Formula 1 to bring a Grand Prix back to the country after over three decades, but a 2027 return has been ruled out with a bid still on the cards for the 2028 race calendar.

The 30-year-old, who made his F1 debut with now-defunct Toro Rosso in 2019, credits his journey from junior carting to the highest level of the sport as having shaped his character to withstand the challenges on and off the track.

"I wouldn't say I had the smoothest career into F1. Mental resilience in all kinds of sport and in life is important, the more you go through the difficult moments the tougher you become."

Albon and Williams are enduring a troubled 2026 campaign as the new regulations have wreaked havoc on their plans, but he remains optimistic about the direction of the team.

"This year has been a tough one for us. I think if you asked me last year it was clear what direction we were going in, but this season has challenged us a lot. We've noticed the setbacks experienced within the factory that we realised will take longer to fix than what we expected. 

"We are through that period of mourning and we are moving towards cracking down to fix these issues. There are big changes happening behind the scenes and new technology is also coming through which will help us to bounce back faster."

Born in London, England, but opting to retain his ancestral Thai nationality, the 2019 FIA Rookie of the Year remains excited about the future and believes podiums and wins remains the ultimate motivation for himself and Atlassian Williams F1 Team.

Albon has so far managed a season’s best eighth-place finish, which came in Monaco last month, while having amassed a total of just five points – leaving him in 16th-place on the Driver’s Championship standings at the mid-season break.