Williams Racing Formula 1 driver Alex Albon landed in South Africa fresh off a landmark milestone, his 100th race with Williams at the Hungarian Grand Prix, and wasted no time making headlines far beyond the racetrack.
The Thai-British driver’s visit is the first official trip to South Africa by an active Williams driver since Alain Prost, himself driving for Williams-Renault, won the 1993 South African Grand Prix at Kyalami.
Albon, who had always wanted to visit South Africa, described the experience as everything he had hoped for. The tour marked the climax of a month-long Williams roadshow during which the team’s FW48 show car toured shopping centres across Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg, in partnership with Super Group through its Betway and Jackpot City brands.
The highlight of the Johannesburg leg came when Albon sat down with President Cyril Ramaphosa and Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie. Albon was accompanied by his fiancée, professional golfer Lily Muni He.
The meeting carried enormous significance, Ramaphosa has already committed to attending a Formula 1 Grand Prix later in 2026 as a working visit to personally lobby for South Africa’s bid to return to the calendar, now targeting 2028 or 2029.
McKenzie, whose passion for the project is undimmed, has declared: “My term will be a failure if I don’t bring F1 to South Africa.” Albon’s visit only turned up the volume on that dream.
