Silverstone Was Also A Great Result for Alex Albon

Truth be told, the recent Formula 1 Grand Prix held at Silverstone, home to the British Grand Prix, was a race that shall not be forgotten for quite some time. There are races that actually deliver predicated results, leaving no scope, whatsoever, for a a surprise finish. Then there are races where, for the lack of better expression, one sees an outlandish ending. Take for instance, the contest at Spa Francorchamps back in 2021, a contest where the result was calculated basis the first lap.

But then there are also those occasions where we see a legendary Grand Prix. In other words, a race where some history is made.

The 2024 British Grand Prix was one such race. For starters, it was a contest where three Britons were vying for the top step of the podium in the race. Even before the race began, it was evidently clear that this was to be a three-way fight between McLaren and Mercedes with two of the latter’s drivers in the mix for a win.

With George Russell claiming a well-fought pole position at Silverstone, the contest was firmly placed in Mercedes’ hands.

The build-up to the race was further heightened by the prospect of the great Lewis Hamilton placing his car on second for the Grand Prix following a strong qualifying. That left Lando Norris, the third Briton in the mix in the sweet spot for a positive result, his McLaren having already done enough in previous races to assure fans of its burgeoning strength.

And in the end, even as Russell, most recently a winner at Austria, retired due to an issue with his car for little fault of his own, the top honours went to Lewis Hamilton. Silverstone saw, for the first time since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, a British winner on the top step at his home race. And that was in front of the undeniably quick and pacy Verstappen.

But were Hamilton and Norris, eventually third in the race, the only British drivers who registered a strong result?

Truth be told, the Silverstone saga was a massive relief of sorts for none other than Alex Albon of Williams.

While Alex Albon recently signed a contract extension with the Williams team, a legendary British Constructor that will see him on the grid for, at least, until 2026-end, his performances prior to arriving at Silverstone weren’t really promising.

The car that often lacks pace but surprisingly packs a punch on certain qualifying days seemed to be having something in it that could assist the enthusiastic Thai-British driver. And that’s exactly what panned out at the 52-lap race. This, however, was not the only occasion where Albon successfully outpaced his teammate, Logan Sergeant.

Competing well and with much focus at a track that oscillated between dry and wet weather, before eventually unfurling a rain-free race, Alex Albon drove home a strong ninth. In so doing, he would also put an end to a recent point-scoring drought that came into effect with the starting of the 2024 Canadian Grand Prix.

As a matter of fact, one of the more under-appreciated facts about Silverstone was that it also fetched points for Alex Albon, who has British blood in his veins. The driver had gone sans any points, whatsoever, if one talks of the trinity of Canada, Spain and Austria.

In fact, at Montreal, home to the Canadian GP, Alex Albon scored a DNF, as was the case with some stronger names on the grid, including- Leclerc, Perez and Sainz.

It can be said for certain that having scored points at Silverstone would have left Alex Albon with a newfound confidence of sorts. He will now look at Hungary as another promising equation where he can beat two of his team’s closest on-track competitors, such as the Kick Sauber Ferrari and the RB team.