LONDON-BORN Alex Albon will extend his stay with Williams into a sixth season after agreeing a one-year contract extension.

Albon has scored just five points so far following a poor year for the British team which has left team-mate Carlos Sainz’s future in some doubt.

However, Albon’s future has been secured ahead of this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix – the first round after the sport’s summer shutdown.

“Since joining Williams in 2022, the transformation this team has made is difficult to put into words,” said Albon.

“One tough year doesn’t tell the full picture, and it only gives me more motivation to keep building and pushing together with the factory and our fans to achieve great things. Our story is not over yet, so my full focus now is on doing whatever it takes to get us back up the grid.”

Albon finished a strong eighth in the drivers’ standings last year, but Williams failed to make the first pre-season test this term, and their car has been overweight throughout the opening half of the campaign.

Former Ferrari driver Sainz has scored just one more point than Albon and is out of contract at the end of the year. Williams are ahead of only Aston Martin and Cadillac in the constructors’ championship.

Team principal James Vowles said: “Alex has been a leader of this transformation project since day one and we have plenty of unfinished business that we are determined to achieve.

“Alex is one of the best drivers on the grid and knows better than anyone the enormous improvements we have made in recent years — re-signing him shows the belief we both have in the direction we are heading.”