Alex Albon has a habit of leaving no stone unturned. Another victim of Red Bull’s brutal driver merry-go-round in 2021, dropped as Max Verstappen’s team-mate for Sergio Perez, the British-Thai driver was desperate for a race seat for 2022. Aware of George Russell’s impending move to Mercedes, Albon approached then-Williams CEO Jost Capito with a list of resources: a CV and an Excel spreadsheet, comparing his superior lap times to his rivals. Suitably impressed by both his determination and statistics, a deal was agreed. “Albono” was back on the grid. So to now, and the rebirth of the 27-year-old at a team rejuvenated. Albon has carved out 21 points in the first 14 races of this season at a team who managed only 39 points from 2018-2022. A five-year period where they were bottom of the pile, the wooden spoon holders, in four of those five years. Sunday’s seventh-place finish at the Italian Grand Prix was Albon’s best performance yet for Williams, more impressive than an identical result in Montreal in June. A display of crisp driving to qualify sixth on Saturday was coupled with dogged defensive work lap after lap on Sunday, even with his tyres dropping off in the final stages in Monza. Though the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull of Sergio Perez had too much pace, Albon had the McLarens on his gearbox for most of the afternoon. But using exquisite car placement and intimate driver nous, that’s exactly where Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri stayed. First to acknowledge Albon’s display was Williams team principal James Vowles, whose influence on this team in his first six months cannot be overstated. Arriving after years of success and experience as Mercedes’ chief strategist, the highly astute 44-year-old was ready to step out of Toto Wolff’s shadow. Tasked with rebuilding a team whose level and morale was rock bottom – the years of title triumphs under Sir Frank Williams in the 1990s a very distant memory now – Vowles was under no illusions to the scale of the challenge. “The main thing is this: what I want to see is positive progress and it won’t be weeks or months, it will be more than that – it’s on a years [long] timescale,” Vowles said, back in March. “There are no short-term solutions, everything is long-term.” Yet if this is what short-term progress looks like, how far can Vowles take this sleeping giant of the sport in the long-term? Williams are currently seventh in the constructors’ standings and a clear seventh at that, leapfrogging Alfa Romeo, Haas and AlphaTauri this season. In Albon, they have a driver who is flourishing as a clear No 1 in the garage. And in Vowles they have an experienced head whose obsession with F1 means, much like his driver, every ounce of effort and second of lap-time will be eked out to the maximum. For example, he was attuned to McLaren’s “dummy” pit-stop late in the day at Monza, with the papaya even shuffling out their mechanics in an attempt to trigger Williams to pit Albon instead. Vowles, who has seen such moves numerous times in his 12 years at Mercedes, could not help but laugh about it afterwards. He also stole a march on Alpine – next up the road, sixth in the standings – by poaching Pat Fry in July to be Williams’ new Chief Technical Officer. The straight-line speed of the FW45 has contributed to top-10 finishes in Bahrain, Silverstone and Zandvoort this year. Even Lewis Hamilton was bemoaning Williams’ pace in qualifying on Saturday – who could have predicted that a few years back? There are still issues to solve, the most prescient their second seat currently occupied by Logan Sargeant. Albon’s sturdy points-tally is in stark contrast to the American rookie, languishing at the bottom of the standings. Point-less after 14 races, another glimpse of a top-10 finish went astray for Sargeant on Sunday. Speculation is rife that Mercedes reserve Mick Schumacher could be thrust into the seat for 2024. Sargeant has eight races left, including two in the US, to prove his worth to Vowles and keep a seat which will be highly sought after if Williams continue in the same direction. Race wins and championships are still some way off. The tally of nine constructors’ crowns and seven drivers’ titles will not change anytime soon. But the gradual renaissance of one of Formula 1’s staple teams – who celebrated their 800th grand prix earlier this year – is one of 2023’s feel-good sub-plots in a season dominated by Red Bull and Max Verstappen. Albon has committed until at least the end of 2024 and is likely to extend further should the top-dogs not come calling. Vowles is, quite clearly, in it for the long-haul. How quick the ascension can arrive remains unclear in the unrelenting arms race that is F1, but both driver and team principal have reinvigorated all personnel in the famed dark blue kit both in the pit-lane and back at base in Oxfordshire. What’s more, neither want to seal the sole limelight. There is no room for overinflated ego. Is this an Alex Albon story? Is it a James Vowles story? What is abundantly clear is that it is a bit of both. Read More The moment McLaren failed with a ‘dummy’ pit-stop over shrewd Williams Max Verstappen breaks new ground with record victory at Italian Grand Prix ‘It was totally my fault’: Lewis Hamilton admits mistake in Italian Grand Prix Carlos Sainz chases down thieves and recovers £500,000 watch in scary Milan incident ‘Box to overtake’: The moment McLaren failed with a ‘dummy’ pit-stop over Williams ‘It was totally my fault’: Lewis Hamilton admits mistake in Italian Grand Prix

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Erik ten Hag knows Manchester United “have a way to go” in their development but dismissed former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher’s claim that the team have gone backwards this season. All eyes will be on Old Trafford this Sunday afternoon as the Red Devils look for a statement victory in the derby against treble winners Manchester City. United head into the match after toiling to a third straight victory in all competitions, with Andre Onana’s last-gasp spot-kick save sealing a 1-0 win against Copenhagen in the Champions League. It was another narrow escape for Ten Hag’s so far underwhelming side, who need to be far better if they are to stand any chance of winning the 191st Manchester derby. “We are in the right direction, and we have a way to go,” the United manager said. “I see positives, I see also negatives. We are not consistently, in possession, on the level where we can be, where we show in games we can be. “Like for instance, Arsenal away. Also, the first 30 minutes in Bayern Munich away. But we should do this on a consistent basis. “But pressing, we are quite good. We have the most ball regains from the whole Premier League, we have the most middle regains from the whole Premier League. “So, there you see, our defensive organisation, our pressing organisation. I said before the season how we wanted to play, that is us. “But then, we don’t take the benefit in the attacking transition moments, and we should be because we have the abilities in our team, the players there who can take benefit from it. “We paid some attention to it, and this has to grow, this has to progress. Then games will become easier.” United have had a few factors to contend with this term, from injuries and off-field issues to tough fixtures and underperforming stars. The afterglow of a promising first season under Ten Hag has certainly dimmed, with the side dropping off markedly after February’s Carabao Cup final triumph against Newcastle. Liverpool favourite Carragher this week said United “resemble a team reaching the end of a cycle, not one still rebuilding under a relatively new manager”. The former defender also said in his Telegraph column that “the football is stale and the symptoms of regression are visible” – comments that were put to Ten Hag ahead of the derby. “I said in possession we have to do better,” the Dutchman said. “But there are reasons I don’t go into, but I think everyone is seeing why. “But there are also facts, so I disagree. We are much better. “And even we are top Premier League in high ball regains, we are top Premier League in middle ball regains. “Our pressing is always very good, so that is not the truth what he is telling.” United are certainly far from their best right now, with the stuttering performances coming under the continued cloud of questions over the ownership. Sheikh Jassim recently withdrew from the interminable potential takeover process due to the Glazer family’s demands, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos now looking set to take a stake and sporting control. Asked if United’s players are thinking about the impact on them of potential changes above, Ten Hag said: “I don’t think so. “Of course, they are committed to the club but especially they are committed to this team. “They want to be successful and are aware you need the team, your team-mates, you need cooperation. “You want to play with the best players you have in this team and when the cooperation is growing, we will play better and that is in their benefit. “I think that is how the players are thinking and they are not thinking about strategic reviews or structures or whatever.” Read More Jude Bellingham brace helps Real Madrid to comeback El Clasico win at Barcelona Pep Guardiola accepts Man City gatecrashing party was ‘uncomfortable’ for elite South Africa edge New Zealand to win Rugby World Cup for record fourth time Jamie George demands ‘clarity’ over hybrid contracts for England players Gary O’Neil labels Newcastle penalty ‘scandalous decision’ Jude Bellingham delighted after doing ‘something special’ to win El Clasico

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