Alex Albon has made a spectacular return to the Formula 1 grid in 2022 with the struggling Williams team. Albon made headlines during his rollercoaster stint at Toro Rosso and Red Bull during 2019 and 2020 before unceremoniously losing his race seat at the end of 2020.

The former Red Bull driver has opened up about his drive to return to the grid during his hiatus, as well as his excitement and goals moving forward with Williams. 

Speaking with People.com, Albon breaks down his 2021 reserve driver role with Red Bull which he believes added to his appeal.

“You're not actually driving the car, so you can't truly prove yourself on circuits.” Albon explained. “So how can I become a team player? How can I get performance? And a lot of that was doing simulator work and reserve work for Red Bull, at the time.

“I spent 20 days a month in a simulator, making sure that in 2021, the Red Bull car was fast. And fortunately, maybe a very, very small part of that was what I did, but it felt good. It felt like my value as a driver went up, and that put me in a good position. And obviously, I spoke with Williams' team principal and we had a good chat and one thing moved led to another.”

Asked who he turned to for support, Albon praised his “strong” circle of friends as well as the support he received from his family and girlfriend.

“It's always the people closest to you — my family and my girlfriend, my friends.” He stated. “At the end of the day, I think it happens in most sports, but the higher up you go, the more isolated you can sometimes feel. 

“You need a very strong circle around you. I have a very strong circle. But leaning on them, and that's where you get your inner peace, but also your motivation.” 

Albon continued to highlight his motivation to sign the Williams seat, but admits he believed his chances were low.

“I got my opportunity, for one, thanks to him. It wasn't difficult for me to become motivated because that's ingrained into who I am. And yet, you never know if you're truly going to get a seat or not. During the first six months, it looked to me like my chances were slim. And nevertheless, I put my head down and made a few phone calls, but it's happened.”

Asked of his emotions upon hearing he had gotten the vacant seat with Williams, the Thai-British driver described his elation as well as his immediate determination to help the team improve.

“It's that feeling you've worked for so long — pure joy, of course.” He said. “I was super happy once I got told that everything was done. Very thankful to everyone at Williams. But at the same time, it quickly switched to, "Okay, here we go. It's your time to show yourself and put all that you said you're going to do to work.

“And so pretty much straight away, as soon as it got announced, I was working with the team and speaking with the guys in any way I could help. We started immediately working with the team on the simulator and listening to the guys at the factory, going into the factory, and preparing for my season ahead.”

Looking ahead, Albon says his main goals for the year are to see himself improve as the year continues, as well as helping Williams get back to their winning ways.

“I think if I talk about the short term, it's really to be that driver that I want to be, to be a better version of myself than I have been. I can look back at the end of the year and see that I've improved from the beginning.

“Also, as a team person, it's to bring Williams up to where they belong. We've had a decent start to the year, but we want more. And I feel like part of me is very hungry to bring us back.”