The comeback kid

Alexander Albon will be a Williams driver in 2022.

It was confirmed on September 9 that Thai-Brit driver will be once again on the Formula 1 grid come 2022.

Replacing George Russell in the Williams car, as Russell makes his long awaited move to the Mercedes factory team.

There was debate to whether the move would even be possible leading up to the announcement, considering the fact that the Williams team runs a Mercedes-powered engine. Complicating the relationship with team boss Toto Wolff.

But although the move seemed unlikely, Red Bull was able to come up with a solution to give their project-driver a seat on next years grid.

It is reported that Albon will not be a part of the Red Bull Racing academy going forward, meaning he is 100% a Williams team member. Although, a verbal agreement seems to be in place for the two parties to work together in the future, pathing the way for a potential return to the Red Bull team.

The now FORMER Red Bull Racing academy driver had most recently competed in the DTM, where he was able to pick up his first race victory at the Nürburgring. While he had most recently competed with the Red Bull factory team, after a successful six-month stint with the junior team Alpha Touri.

While racing in DTM, Albon was also the reserve driver for Red Bull during the 2021 season. Having managed hundreds and maybe even thousands of laps in the simulator to help the team progress going forward. It was also reported that he was helping the man who replaced him Sergio Perez, adjust.

It's not often that drivers have the opportunity to return to Formula 1 after a year off, Alpine Driver Estaban Ocon recently did this when signing for the Renault team in 2020, after previously driving for Force India/Racing Point in 2018. Ocon had a decent 2020 season and eventually signed a contract extension in 2021.

Albon has the potential to follow a similar path to Ocon, as he will arguably enter the 2022 season competing against Alpha Touri driver Pierre Gasly for when Red Bull eventually turns their attention to a Perez replacement.

Given the circumstances, a future Red Bull seat is not guaranteed. It is possible that the refresh in Albon's career could be the start of a long career away from the team, with other midfield teams destined to turn his way if a seat were to become available in the coming years. This all depends on whether the performances are above satisfactory in 2022 of course, taking a year-by-year approach to not only work his way up the grid, but actually hold on to a seat in the Williams itself.

Albon finished the 2020 season seventh in the drivers championship with 105 points, including two podiums in Italy and Bahrain. Although it is extremely unlikely that he will end up on the podium in 2022, Albon has the opportunity to show the world how good he really is when not facing the upmost amount of pressure in a competing team.

We have seen this this many times over the years, most recently with Gasly as he made his move back to the junior Red Bull team. The determination to prove the senior team wrong has driven Gasly to career-best performances across 2020 and early 2021, allowing a burst of confidence going forward.

Whether or not Albon has a successful career in Formula 1 is yet to be known, but a second chance at such a young age will only benefit the Thai-Brit driver. Expect great things in the Williams team.