ALEX ALBON flicks through a pile of photographs, signing each one, followed by a stack of Williams team caps and then a letter to an ardent fan.
All of it is done with an easy smile — you would be hard-pressed to find a nicer driver on the grid.
But for four of the past five seasons, Williams have finished rock bottom in the constructors’ championship, making his bid to dispel the theory that nice guys don’t win that much harder.
And in any case, Albon insists he is not as nice as people make out.
“It’s like there’s two characters,” he says in the lead-up to Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix. “It’s not bipolar, it’s just who I’ve always been. I feel like you can’t be nice in a car because it’s a competition and you’re there to beat other people. And anyway rightly or wrongly the nice guy persona is not entirely true to who I am.”
Now 27, the London-born driver believes he has mellowed and matured from a more hot-headed youth. But at the end of the day, any changes have merely been about getting quicker.
Esta historia es de la edición March 31, 2023 de Evening Standard.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición March 31, 2023 de Evening Standard.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Why are England wasting time waiting for Tuchel?
Winning the World Cup is the aim, so the new boss should start now
He's been shot, and punched by Mike Tyson, but British boxing's great survivor is back on top and aiming to rule the world
This is where the magic happens,\" reads a big neon sign scrawled across the entrance to the offices of arguably the most powerful man in British boxing today.
How Sketch went from 'obscene' to era-defining
After arocky start, the glamorous and infamous restaurant is now an institution
Money is worth less than time'
He's quit Fendi, but what will Kim Jones do next?
London's Roman Amphitheatre
Guildhall Yard, EC2V
Liberals didn't notice they'd lost relevance in the all-consuming digital sphere
There are many reasons why Donald Trump might have won the election last week.
Do we have to die?
One neuroscientist thinks the answer is no
How to have a magical Christmas in Edinburgh
From cosy cobblestone streets to abundant Yuletide goings-on, few cities rival the Scottish capital in creating Christmas whimsy.
London's best festive restaurants
The social season is upon us once more. These are the city’s most coveted Christmas venues, which need to be booked soon so as to not miss out on the tinsel and tipples.
Rag'n'Bone Man
I struggle with being recognised... I'll never really feel comfortable with it'
