The 2026 Spanish Grand Prix will be no ordinary weekend for Alex Albon. The Thai driver is poised to etch his name even further into Williams' history by becoming the driver with the most Grand Prix starts for the British team.
Albon: a tribute to an F1 icon
With his 96th start in the colors of Williams in Barcelona, Albon will erase from the records an iconic reference: that of Nigel Mansell, 1992 world champion and key figure in the Grove team.
To mark this symbolic event, Williams chose to revive one of the most recognizable helmets in the history of the Formula 1. Albon will wear a livery inspired by that used by mansell during its glory years.
A strong nod to the one who had offered to Williams one of his most memorable titles at the wheel of the FW14B designed by Adrian Newey.
"It's incredible to think that I've competed in more races for this historic team than for any other team." ", told Albon.
The 30-year-old driver has never hidden his admiration for mansell, which he considers to be one of his earliest inspirations when he dreamed of Formula 1.
« Nigel Mansell was an inspiration to me when I was a child. He is a fighter and a true legend of Williams and Formula 1. He explained.
A renaissance signed Albon
Arrived at Williams in 2022 after his turbulent time at Red Bull, Albon accompanied the team's rebuilding process through several difficult seasons.
While Williams is going through a recovery phase under the leadership of James vowlesThe Thai man has established himself as the natural leader of the project.
"This record represents much more than just a number. Every Grand Prix raced with Williams tells a part of the story of the journey we've shared.", said Albon.
The pilot also points out that recent progress is the result of collective work carried out behind the scenes for several years.
« Through the ups and downs, each race has contributed to building what Williams is becoming again today.i. »
Barcelona to confirm
This celebration comes at a time whenAlbon remains on a solid eighth place in Monaco, his best result of the season.
Williams hopes to continue its progress on the Barcelona circuit, a track which will allow for a more precise evaluation of the real performance of the single-seaters after the specificities of the Monaco weekend.
One thing is certain: whatever the result on Sunday, Alex Albon will leave Barcelona with a unique place in the history books of Williamsalongside prestigious names like Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill or, Ralf Schumacher.
