Alexander Albon's return to a full-time Formula 1 seat with Williams Grand Prix Engineering commenced at the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix, where he navigated the FW44 to a 13th-place finish. Starting from 14th on the grid, Albon maintained a consistent pace throughout the 57-lap race at the Bahrain International Circuit, ultimately improving his starting position by one place. This performance saw him finish ahead of both McLaren drivers, Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris, who placed 14th and 15th respectively, indicating a relative strength for the Williams on this occasion despite the team not scoring points. His teammate, Nicholas Latifi, finished 16th, further underscoring Albon's comparative pace within the team. The race, which saw Charles Leclerc take victory for Ferrari, was notably impacted by late retirements from both Red Bull Racing cars, including Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez, due to fuel system issues, which shifted the final standings for several competitors. For more details on the season, the [Formula 1 — official site](https://www.formula1.com/en) provides comprehensive coverage of the [2022 F1 season](https://www.formula1.com/en).
Albon's fastest lap of 1:37.355, recorded on lap 50, ranked 18th overall in the field, demonstrating the car's potential in certain phases of the race. This initial outing provided crucial data for Williams as they began to understand the new generation of cars introduced under the [FIA — F1 World Championship](https://www.fia.com/events/fia-formula-one-world-championship) regulations for 2022. While no points were secured, completing the full race distance of 1:38:27.516 was a foundational step for Albon and the [Williams Grand Prix Engineering team](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Williams_Grand_Prix_Engineering). His subsequent performances, such as at the [2022 Mexico City Grand Prix](/results/2022-mexico-city-alex-albon), would build upon this initial experience. The broader context of Formula 1's technical evolution can be explored via [Wikipedia: Formula One](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formula_One), offering insights into the regulatory changes that shaped the 2022 season. For a complete overview of the race results, including specific lap data, the [Jolpica/Ergast — 2026 season data](https://api.jolpi.ca/ergast/f1/2026.json) provides detailed statistics. This race set the tone for Albon's season, where he consistently extracted performance from the Williams package, often battling with drivers like [Yuki Tsunoda at the 2022 Mexico City Grand Prix](/results/2022-mexico-city-yuki-tsunoda) and [Carlos Sainz at the 2022 Mexico City Grand Prix](/results/2022-mexico-city-carlos-sainz) in later rounds.