Alex Albon makes harsh McLaren claim as ‘huge’ F1 influencer remains

Alex Albon has used McLaren as an example of how the great ‘car vs driver’ debate is still a decisive factor in how Formula 1 drivers are viewed, given their huge turnaround in fortunes this season.

McLaren suffered a dreadful start to the season when they realised the fundamental design concept of the MCL60 was far from optimal, changing course early and bringing a raft of upgrades by mid-season.

Their turnaround in fortunes from Austria onwards saw them go from lower midfield runners to regular podium contenders, and Albon believes Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri haven’t “changed drastically in themselves” in the process, rather the car has.

Alex Albon uses McLaren example in ‘car vs driver’ debate

Albon has received widespread praise for how he has gone about his time with Williams since his move there last season, outqualifying team-mate Logan Sargeant at every race so far this year and out-scoring him by 27 points to 1 in a largely uncompetitive car.

As a result, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner described his former driver as being “hot property” again in Formula 1 with what he is doing at Williams, often pushing his car to its limits even though they are lower down the field.

But given the reputational uplift of McLaren along with their rise in performance as the season has gone on, Norris having now appeared on the podium seven times this year and Piastri having earned a Sprint pole and victory in Qatar, Albon believes car performance is still a “huge influence” on how drivers are perceived beyond the paddock.

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“I’m definitely driving better than last year, simply because I have more experience and I’m more settled into the team,” Albon explained to French publication Auto Hebdo.

“But obviously, in our sport, the team is the most important part of the equation. Look at McLaren.

“Lando and Oscar are having a wonderful season, they’re driving so well, and yet they had almost no points at the start of the year.

“They both found themselves in the top three overnight without having changed drastically in themselves.

“The car still has a huge influence on a driver’s perception in F1, and this is also the case for me.”

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