Williams looked set for another difficult campaign as incoming team principal James Vowles embarked on a huge rebuild of the long-time backmarker.
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While that process will take several years, Williams is fighting over scraps with its FW45, which is lacking aerodynamic load compared to its competitors.
But just like its predecessor, the 2023 car's low-drag characteristics also provided the team with some opportunities to score big on low-downforce circuits.
And more so than last year, when Albon was restricted to just four points across the whole campaign, the Anglo-Thai driver has managed to capitalise on his car's strengths.
Following a solitary point in Bahrain's opening race, Albon grabbed six points for seventh place in Canada, and backed that up with another four points at Silverstone.
With rookie team-mate Logan Sargeant still yet to score, Alon has single-handedly dragged Williams up to a joint seventh with Haas on 11 points, three more points than the Grove scored all of last season.
Albon admitted that 2023 had gone much better than he had anticipated, stating: "Honestly, I have to say it's been a really good year for us so far.
"I don't want to say too much but it feels like the way that we started in Bahrain and where we are right now, we've made great progress.
"Maybe not as much as the McLarens, but on our side, we are heading in the right direction.
"We are seventh right now in the constructors' championship, tied. If you had told me or anyone from the team that at the start of the year, we would have bitten your arm off, so it is going well.
"Obviously, we just need to stay focused and keep going at it. But I'm sure, as a team, we can take the summer break off and enjoy it and come back refreshed."
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Williams produced a sizeable upgrade for June's Canadian Grand Prix, featuring a new floor and sidepod design.
That has allowed the team to be slightly more competitive on tracks that don't typically suit its car, with Albon taking an unlikely 11th at the twisty Hungaroring, albeit benefitting from a bold undercut strategy.
Albon says having a car that is more likely to challenge for points on any given race weekend, rather than just excelling at some of the calendar's low-downforce outliers, has given the team a boost of confidence.
He added: "It's just great going to every race weekend being able to fight for points, and being in that area where you feel like you go to every weekend knowing that, it just builds confidence and motivation for everyone in the team.
"So, I would say we're enjoying these moments, and hopefully we can we can score some points."
