There are still a handful of drivers within Formula 1 who do not have much left of their fingernails as they sweat over their future in the sport.
Alex Albon was one of them a few weeks ago, with the year he was forced to sit on the sidelines in 2021 still very much fresh in his mind. But then came his new multi-year deal with Williams – and the security he needs to really kick on in his racing career.
"Everything seems to happen normally quite quickly in F1," he told Mirror Sport. "I have a great relationship with Jost [Capito, team principal] and we were speaking about it from an early stage. It's great to have stability in your future – it's something that is quite rare in F1. It's great peace of mind to know I'm on the grid for a few more years to come."
Speaking prior to the Belgian Grand Prix, the 26-year-old insisted it would "business as usual" at Spa after getting that new deal over the line. But the results he secured over the course of the weekend were certainly atypical for a Williams driver.
For all their efforts, this once great team has toiled at the back of the grid for several years now with little reward. But that didn't look to be the case in Belgium, as Albon took advantage of grid penalties for rivals to qualifying in sixth and finished four places lower on race day, securing a precious and rare point.
It was just Williams' fourth of the season – and Albon has scored all of them. Despite his team being rooted to the bottom of the constructors' standings, he is insistent that he will one day be rewarded for committing himself to the project for the long haul.
"They've given me the opportunity to be back in F1 and I'm extremely thankful for that," he said. "We're looking at where we are – it's not where we want to be but the vision and the mindset of everyone here going forwards, I strongly believe in that.
"We're happy with the investment in the team from Dorilton and everyone is extremely supportive of where things are going. We know it's going to take time and I believe in the process, and that in a few years – obviously I want it sooner rather than later – we can achieve great things.
"I'm sure you see it in all kinds of sports – things don't change overnight and there is no 'secret sauce'. Change takes a long time and there are a lot of people in the factory, close to 900.
"Formula 1 is quite a niche sport and people are coming and going, gardening leaves are unbelievably long. It's a real process to change a team and see where things are going. It does take time, but I wouldn't be with Williams if I didn't believe in them."
Two years ago, Albon was partnered with Max Verstappen at Red Bull and driving a car capable of scoring big points on a regular basis. But like Pierre Gasly before him, he was unable to achieve the consistency required by a team with such ambitions.
Just like that, he suddenly found himself on the outside looking in. Free agent Sergio Perez came in, and Albon was seatless for 2021 – instead of furthering his F1 career, he was a reserve driver forced to race in other series' such as Germany's DTM to keep his hand in.
Of course, he would have much preferred to have been on the grid that year. But even though opportunities to get behind the wheel of an F1 car were limited, Albon's unabating optimism allows him only to focus on the bright side, and the opportunities to learn that came while on the sidelines.
"More than anything it was good to have a bit of a reset," he said. "With a year out you have a lot of time to reflect and see where you want to improve and develop as a driver.
"Not actually driving a car makes things quite difficult in terms of driving improvement – it's not really possible. It's not like other sports where you can keep playing football or rugby or whatever it may be... when I had a year out I was not able to drive a Formula 1 car, other than a couple of days.
"I used it as a year to focus on the things I can do better outside the car... I felt I was still fairly under-experienced compared to a lot of people around me, and I felt like it was a perfect opportunity to play catch-up and really dive deep with the people in the team and factory at Red Bull, and really pick their brains."
When his place with Williams this season was confirmed, Red Bull were eager to note that they "retained a relationship" with the driver. Just to underline that point, the photo that accompanied the announcement showed Albon wearing an AlphaTauri T-shirt – the name of the energy drinks giant's clothing label.
That link has now been severed, with the new contract meaning complete commitment to Williams going forwards. "That's pretty much it now, I'm a total Williams driver," he revealed.
"I had a link with Red Bull through this year – I still have a great relationship with Red Bull, like Williams they gave me a chance in Formula 1 and I really enjoy the people there, they've always been really supportive to me. But now it's more of a focus with Williams."
Born in London and raised in Suffolk, Albon is just as British as the likes of Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris and George Russell. He races under the Thai flag, the homeland of his mother, which perhaps explains why he is often not included with that trio when British F1 stars are being discussed.
While Albon is very much aware of that, the he insists he is happy to fly under the radar and that he is unaffected by any lack of media coverage. "As much as I was born in London and spent most of my life in the UK, I still see myself as a Thai," he said.
"I have no grudges against anyone... I do my own thing and I'm not one who's big into the spotlight so if there's less of me [in the media] I don't mind that. When I'm doing well I'm the London-born Thai, and if I'm not I'm just Thai."
