Williams: WEC driver warns “Alex Albon is overrated, Carlos Sainz will drive him crazy”. Daniel Juncadella on the Williams battle between Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon.

Will Carlos Sainz Beat Alex Albon?
Carlos Sainz will crush Alex Albon in the head-to-head battle within the Williams garage. That’s the view of Spanish driver Daniel Juncadella, who believes the seasoned Williams driver has been overrated for years and has only shone in recent seasons because he’s been paired with inexperienced or relatively slow teammates. However, this won’t be the case in 2025 when, after racing alongside Nicholas Latifi, Logan Sargeant, and Franco Colapinto, Alex Albon will face a formidable challenger in former Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz.

Daniel Juncadella’s Opinion
Speaking on *Dura La Vita*, Jorge Lorenzo’s podcast, Daniel Juncadella explained his less-than-flattering view of the 28-year-old Thai driver’s skills:
“I’ve always been a bit more critical of Albon than most people. We shared the track during his DTM season, but it was a very poor year for him, as his teammate Liam Lawson destroyed him.”

Juncadella, currently a simulator driver for the Aston Martin F1 team, was referring to 2021, the year Albon was sidelined by Red Bull to make way for Sergio Perez. During that time, Alex Albon competed part-time in a Ferrari 488 GT3, sharing the garage with New Zealander Liam Lawson (now promoted to Red Bull alongside Verstappen).
“It was clear,” Daniel Juncadella added, “that he didn’t even want to be there on the track. His mind was 100% on Formula 1, but he wasn’t racing in Formula 1 that year. So yes, unfortunately, my impression of Albon is based on past races where it was obvious he didn’t want to compete.”

The Williams Garage Showdown
Alex Albon ended the 2021 DTM season with just one win, one second-place finish, and two third-place finishes, collecting nearly 100 points fewer than Liam Lawson, who finished second, just three points behind champion Maximilian Götz in the same car. These results lead Daniel Juncadella to believe that competing against Carlos Sainz will be an unwinnable battle for Alex Albon.
“From what I’ve seen on track and from the outside, I’ve always thought he’s an overrated driver, though I don’t like to use that word. 2025? I’ve thought about it, and I can’t wait to see what happens… Albon will drive alongside Sainz, a driver I think will drive him crazy.” – he concluded.