**Exclusive: Alex Albon Downplays Need for Hierarchy at Williams Amid Carlos Sainz’s 2025 Arrival**

EXCLUSIVE: Alex Albon skeptical of Williams' "hierarchy" change with Carlos Sainz joining

Alex Albon discusses the team dynamics with Crash.net's Connor McDonagh after Carlos Sainz's arrival

According to Alex Albon, Williams likely won't have to establish a defined "pecking order" within the team even with Carlos Sainz joining for the 2025 F1 season.

Carlos Sainz is set to move from Ferrari to Williams for the 2025 season after being passed over by several leading teams such as Mercedes and Red Bull.

Carlos Sainz is considered one of the top talents in Formula 1 due to his ability to closely challenge Charles Leclerc since joining the Maranello team in 2021.

During his two years with McLaren, he outperformed Lando Norris, which eventually secured him a position at Ferrari, replacing Sebastian Vettel.

In an exclusive interview with Crash.net during the Dutch Grand Prix, Albon rejected claims that Williams' new driver roster would lead to an obvious "hierarchy" within the team, where one driver might receive preferential treatment.

Albon shared with Crash.net that adopting a hierarchical approach isn’t feasible for them. “Our main goal is to earn points since the competition is fierce. It’s unlikely we’ll rank among the top teams next year, so we must ensure both cars are performing well.”

"That ties into what I was saying earlier. It's crucial for us to ensure that our team is well-prepared to support two drivers who will be competing closely. I think the competition between us will be very tight."

"He's considered an excellent driver, and competing against him will be exciting. We just need to ensure our team is well-prepared to support both drivers in the competition. I think our performances will be very evenly matched."

“He’s a top-tier driver, and it will be exciting to compete with him. We just need to ensure we have the necessary groundwork in place to back it up.”

In the months leading up to the announcement made earlier this month, speculation about Sainz's future remained a prominent issue.

The 29-year-old has been strongly associated with the Audi initiative and also with Alpine, especially after Flavio Briatore's involvement increased speculation.

Sainz eventually chose to join Williams, potentially providing the Grove-based team with their best driver pairing since the days of Ralf Schumacher and Juan-Pablo Montoya in the early 2000s.

Commenting on the news, Albon admitted that he "wasn't surprised" and went on to detail what exactly excites him about Sainz joining.

"It didn't come as a surprise," he mentioned. "I know James [Vowles] was very eager to secure Carlos early in the season. That's great. For me, the most thrilling aspect is reflecting on my transition from Red Bull to Williams and recognizing how much I learned at Red Bull."

“It sped up the process, allowing me to quickly get into a Williams car and immediately identify its strengths and weaknesses. This helped me understand where to concentrate my efforts and which aspects I could afford to overlook, freeing up time for other priorities."

Carlos's arrival brings a wealth of experience, particularly with the latest generation of cars, allowing him to identify their weaknesses effectively.

"I've been driving the Williams car for nearly three years in its current form. I have my own thoughts on its weaknesses and other aspects."

"Having Carlos join us with his Ferrari background will be incredibly beneficial. I’m confident that once he arrives, we’ll thoroughly pick his brain and gather all the insights he can offer."

Aiming to demonstrate his abilities?

After parting ways with Red Bull at the close of 2020, Albon has emerged as one of the leading drivers in Formula 1.

Nevertheless, there is still some debate regarding the extent of his progress since departing from Williams, especially when considering who his teammates have been.

In 2022, Nicholas Latifi faced significant challenges with the Williams FW44, and Logan Sargeant has also encountered difficulties.

Albon is excited about the prospect of competing with Sainz, but he emphasized that he’s not focused on making "comparisons" with his teammate for the upcoming year.

"It's not up to me to make comparisons," he said. "That's the job of the media. I'm focused on myself and I relish the challenges."

"It's fantastic to have Carlos join us. I believe we'll gain a lot of knowledge from one another. I view this as something very thrilling."

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