Alex Albon

Alex Albon rebuilt his career at Williams after a bruising spell as Max Verstappen's team-mate, becoming the reference point of a reviving team. Calm, quick and a superb defender, he has repeatedly extracted points from a car that had no business scoring them.

2026 raises the stakes: Williams has recruited Carlos Sainz and is pushing hard up the grid, and Albon is the incumbent leader tasked with proving the team's progress is real. It is his chance to show he belongs at the front.