Leathes Prior acts as Alex Albon returns to the Formula One grid
We are delighted to announce that our Head of Sport, Dan Chapman, was involved as the lawyer in the contractual negotiations that saw client Alex Albon today announced as a Williams F1 driver for the forthcoming 2022 season.
Alex, who remains part of the Red Bull team but who joins Williams F1 next season, competed in F1 in the 2019 and 2020 seasons. 2021 has seen Alex combine his duties as Red Bull’s reserve driver with a successful stint in DTM sports car racing but today’s news sees Alex make the return to the pinnacle of motorsport.
Alex made 38 starts in F1 during 2019 and 2020 for both the Toro Rosso (now called Alpha Tauri) and Red Bull teams, amassing 197 championship points and securing two podium finishes. In returning to the F1 paddock, but this time with the British based Williams F1 team, Alex will be hoping that the new regulations introduced in 2022 provide a level playing-field across the teams which fosters more competition across the grid. Williams, showing signs of significant improvement in 2021, are of course historically a leading team who have won the F1 drivers’ championship 7 times and the constructors’ championship 9 times.
On joining Williams F1 for the 2022 season, Alex said: “I am really excited and looking forward to returning to a Formula One race seat in 2022. When you take a year out of F1 it’s never certain you will make a return so I’m extremely thankful to Red Bull and Williams for believing in me and helping me on my journey back to the grid. It’s also been great to see all the progress Williams have been making as a team this year and I look forward to helping them continue that journey in 2022. My focus now returns to my Test & Reserve Driver role at Red Bull and helping the team fight for this year’s world championship”.
Dan Chapman said: “We were very pleased to be able to once again assist Alex in his return to the elite level of F1. Alex’s talent has of course earned him this opportunity but his incredible attitude and tenacity: he did not let his head drop when he was not selected to race during 2021 and instead made it his mission to return as swiftly as possible, a feat he has been able to achieve.”
The Leathes Prior Sport team is one of the UK’s significant forces in the motorsport legal sector, acting for teams, drivers and managers at all levels from karting through to Indy Car and F1 on the complete range of contentious and non-contentious work. For more information, click here.