Of the hundreds of drivers who have graced the grid during Formula 1’s 76-year history, only 26 have completed a century of race starts with a single constructor. A new name is set to join the list this weekend at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

After breaking former world champion Nigel Mansell’s record last month to become the driver with the most race starts for Williams on 96, Alex Albon is on the verge of his second milestone of the season.

The now 30-year-old joined the British team in 2022, filling the void created by George Russell’s switch to Mercedes.

After Red Bull pulled him from a full-time race seat, making him its test and reserve driver instead, Albon had been on the F1 sidelines for a year. But that season away laid the foundation for the driver we see today — the leader of his team, and someone Patrick Harding, his performance coach, describes as a competitor who “wears his heart on his sleeve” but isn’t “insecure about who he is as a human being”.

“The proudest bit of working with him is seeing the individual he’s become now, compared to the challenges that he faced seven, eight years ago,” Harding, Albon’s coach of eight years, said in an interview. “You never want to be made a reserve driver, but the learnings that he had from that year at Red Bull, from both a technical and a human point of view, were absolutely integral to who he is as an individual.

“And if you ask me: would I change that? Probably not, because I don’t think we’d have the Alex Albon that we have right now.”

Five years ago, Albon stood at a crossroads.

Red Bull had replaced him with Sergio Pérez at the end of the 2020 season, after he had struggled to match teammate Max Verstappen’s pace.

While keeping one foot in F1 as the team’s reserve driver, he also competed in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM), a German sports car and touring car series, that season, finishing sixth in the drivers’ championship with a single win and multiple podium finishes across the 16 races.

But what was instrumental to Albon’s career was the time he spent during 2021 in the simulator and working with Simon Rennie, an engineer at Red Bull.

“Alex’s technical knowledge went up exponentially,” Harding said. “His understanding of the car, his understanding of the engineering side, what he needed from a car to be quick. It was unrecognizable in that first year at Williams compared to where he’d been that second year at Red Bull. So that was testament to the support he got at Red Bull.”

Red Bull replaced Alex Albon with Sergio Pérez at the end of the 2020 season. (Mark Thompson / Getty Images)

Harding also felt his year on the F1 sidelines challenged Albon to question who he was as a person. Over that time, he watched as Albon began focusing more on himself away from the track.

“One of the biggest challenges that young athletes have, and some established athletes as well, is separating themselves from their sport and that identity piece,” Harding said, “and that’s such a huge component of being successful. If you view yourself as what you do, then when you’re challenged on that, (it’s) very much an emotional response because you view that as a challenge to you as an individual.”

Around the same time, Russell was racing for Williams in 2020 but was heading to Mercedes for the following year. Albon recalled speaking with his fellow Brit, who joined F1 in 2019 with Albon and Lando Norris. “We would hide out behind the bins and talk about a possible chance back in Formula 1,” Albon said in an interview during last weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.

He would ask Russell when he was making the move to Mercedes. The Williams seat is what Albon wanted, and it’s what he eventually secured.

And Russell did help, to an extent, by giving Albon a “warm welcome” to Williams and introducing him to people. He also gave him advice on areas the team needed to work on. “Just gave me a bit of a head start, so I could start my winter season already preparing for a team,” Albon said.

Williams not only offered Albon a fresh start, but also, potentially, a long-term career. At the time, it was competing among the teams at the back of the grid, finishing last with zero points in 2020 and eighth with 23 in 2021 (the year before he joined). In Albon, Williams now had a driver who had secured podium finishes and showed flashes of raw speed.

The potential was there.

It became a mutually beneficial move.

Coming into the 2022 season, though, Williams’ car was overweight and appeared among the slowest on the grid during preseason testing. It was the first year of the ground-effect regulation era, and the team was still getting to grips with the new rules.

So Albon’s Q2 appearance at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix and his P15 qualifying position stood out. Not only did he outqualify teammate Nicholas Latifi by a comfortable margin, he showed he could wring performance out of a tricky car.

He remembered having an “overwhelming emotion” in that moment, “a mixture of relief and excitement”. It set the tone for the next chapter.

“On the personal side, there were a lot of question marks about me coming back into Formula 1, and how was I going to do?” Albon said.

Williams looked to be the 10th fastest team, he added, but it was a car capable of squeezing into Q2 at times. “Sounds such a simple, boring story,” he continued, “but it meant a lot to me.”

Alex Albon finished 13th at the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix. (Clive Mason / Getty Images)

Then he took seventh place at the 2023 Canadian Grand Prix. It wasn’t the first time Albon had been in the points for Williams but was his best finish yet in its car, and came at a pivotal time for the team. It had brought its first substantial upgrade of the season to that race in Montreal, creating a more competitive car. Albon described it as a “shift of momentum”.

“It seems funny to say, but that was such an insane result for us at the time,” he said. “I remember crossing the line, and my engineer, James, had the radio channel open, and you could hear the noise in the background of the whole team jumping up and down and celebrating, and that meant a lot to me.

“I remember hearing the team so excited, and obviously when we got back (to the UK), we had a huge celebration. And when I think about it back then, (it’s) sort of the beginning of the building blocks of where we started to grow as a team.”

Albon practically became the face of Williams’ resurgence.

He scored a majority of the team’s points for multiple seasons, sometimes outperforming the car’s potential, and earned the nickname ‘Tire Whisperer’ for his ability to save them and extend stint life.

The performances Albon put together on track also carried into behind-the-scenes meetings. He matured, which he said was the most significant development, and was now able to reset himself after a difficult session. He had figured out how to communicate what he wanted, understand relationships and help the team. That had a trickle-down effect.

“What I really loved about Alex when we came to Williams is seeing him step into the role as a leader,” Harding said. “He’s not somebody who’s going to scream and shout in engineering, or dictate to people what he wants from that respect. But he leads by example, and the standards that he sets for himself he expects from people around him.”

Reaching the century-mark with Williams has made Albon “feel old”, but it has also made him reflect on the progress made during those five seasons, going from a backmarker to a more competitive threat in the midfield last year.

This season has been difficult. Williams is eighth in the constructors’ championship and is struggling, just like at the start of 2022, with the new regulations.

“I feel the ups and downs. I feel the pain of this year just as much as anyone else,” Albon said. “It’s not out of frustration. I share the frustration. I share the frustration with the team. There’s no feeling sorry for myself. It’s all, ‘This is who we are, and this is where we need to improve and push forward to get back to where we were’.

“There’s a story there; where, in many ways, Williams were the ones that gave me my first opportunity back into Formula 1 and, at the same time, I live and breathe the team.

“I want this to go well. I poured a lot of my time and energy into this team, and I hope it’s for something.”

Casemiro has joined Inter Miami on a free transfer after leaving Manchester United.

The Brazil international has signed a deal that will see him through to the end of the 2027 MLS season and also includes an option to extend the contract until 2029.

But Major League Soccer has said it is investigating Inter Miami over allegations of ‘tampering’ which could impact Casemiro’s signing.

Casemiro spent four years at Old Trafford, scoring in the League Cup final victory in 2023 and reaching two FA Cup finals, winning the competition in 2024. He was also part of the United side that reached the Europa League final in May 2025.

“What motivates me the most, and I think this is true for every player, is winning and continuing to grow. The project the club presented to me, along with the effort everyone made to bring me here, means a lot to me,” Casemiro said after signing for Inter Miami.

“I’m incredibly grateful, and I can’t wait to get started so I can repay that trust, not only during the 90 minutes on matchday, but every day in training as well. All I can say is thank you, and I’ll give everything I have to return the affection and confidence the club has shown me.”

The 34-year-old signed for United in August 2022 and there was an option for the club to trigger a 12-month extension at the end of the season. However, Sky Sports News understands United decided not to take up that option nor renew his contract and it was a decision made well before the end of the season.

The Red Devils have added Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans to their ranks this summer, and are believed to still be looking for a third midfielder.

Casemiro’s Old Trafford career saw a resurgence over his last 18 months at the club, fighting his way back into the side having initially been unfavoured by former head coach Ruben Amorim. In his final season, the Brazilian had his most productive campaign in front of goal, scoring nine times including five in 15 games under Amorim’s replacement Michael Carrick.

MLS investigating Inter Miami over ‘tampering allegations’

Major League Soccer has said it is investigating Inter Miami over allegations of tampering which could impact the signing of Casemiro.

Following the announcement of the midfielder’s signing, the league then said in a statement that it had launched ​an investigation and was gathering all relevant information and would refrain from further comment until the review was complete.

MLS confirmed Inter Miami and LA Galaxy had reached a settlement ​over Casemiro’s Discovery Priority rights, but said the terms “will be released ⁠upon conclusion of the tampering investigation”.

Under MLS rules, ⁠clubs must negotiate discovery rights with any team that previously listed a player before signing him outside the draft or free ‌agency. The Galaxy had held rights to Casemiro before he opted to join Miami instead.

The league did not specify potential penalties or a timeline for when the investigation might conclude.

In their statement announcing the signing, Inter Miami said the club had acquired his discovery rights from the Galaxy as part of the deal.

LA Galaxy said on social media platform X that they had “reached a settlement for the Discovery priority to sign Casemiro, and the terms will be ⁠released upon conclusion of the tampering investigation currently open with Major ​League Soccer”.

Man United midfield target Scott rejects Bournemouth contract

Alex Scott has turned down a new Bournemouth contract amid strong interest from Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United, Sky Sports News understands.

Bournemouth have made Scott a number of offers since discussions began towards the end of the season – but it is believed the midfielder has indicated he is not currently willing to agree new terms.

The Cherries do not want to sell the talented midfielder, who has entered the final two years of his contract, and have already knocked back inquiries from the Premier League trio.

United, Chelsea and Arsenal are believed to remain the frontrunners for Scott, who travelled to the United States with the England squad ahead of the World Cup, while other clubs are also keen.

Bournemouth expect Scott to remain their player this season whether he signs a new offer or continues on his current deal.

Aston Villa have agreed a deal to sign Alejandro Garnacho from Chelsea.

The arrangement is for a loan with a conditional obligation to buy, which is easily achievable.

The total package, including the loan fee, is understood to meet Chelsea’s valuation.

Sky Sports News has been reporting Chelsea wanted £42.6m for the winger.

Garnacho joined Chelsea last summer from Manchester United for £40m.

The Argentina international winger had not reported for pre-season training at Chelsea in order to allow him to pursue a move away.

The deal comes after the two clubs negotiated a British-record transfer fee of £117m for Morgan Rogers to go in the other direction.

Why UEFA rules make Garnacho move complicated

Analysis from Sky Sports News’ James Savundra:

The deal for Garnacho to move from Chelsea to Aston Villa is not a straightforward one.

Both clubs were recently fined by UEFA for breaching financial sustainability regulations. They are walking a fine tightrope to avoid further heavier sanctions. Last year, Chelsea entered a four-year settlement agreement with UEFA and therefore remain subject to UEFA’s stricter financial guidelines – despite not being in European competition this season.

Villa banked an enormous profit from the sale of Morgan Rogers to Chelsea. A profit which will go a long way to ensuring they are compliant with both UEFA and the Premier League’s differing financial constraints this season. But the club also need to rebuild their squad following multiple departures to ensure they are ready to compete on all fronts this season.

Garnacho was made available for transfer by Chelsea this summer. Villa were looking for a winger. Unai Emery admired the Argentine. A permanent deal would seem straightforward.

However, that would compromise Villa when it comes to securing the huge British transfer-record fee from Chelsea. That’s because of UEFA guidelines which – to simplify slightly – deem that two players being transferred in opposite directions counts as a ‘player exchange transaction’ if a) they are concluded in 45 days of each other and b) have the same or similar payment obligations, deadlines or dates.

If the Garnacho and Rogers deals were deemed as a single player exchange transaction, then Villa’s profit would be reduced in UEFA calculations to the net difference in fees. Chelsea were seeking £42.6m for Garnacho this summer. Easy to see how much of a chunk that would take out of the Rogers profit.

So how about a loan with an obligation to buy? A mechanism that allows Chelsea to guarantee a permanent sale while circumventing the player exchange transaction rules. Sadly, that wouldn’t work either.

UEFA are clamping down on the multitude of loopholes that previously existed. They deem that if a ‘condition is considered to be virtually certain, then the player’s registration must be recognised by both clubs as a permanent transfer from the inception of the loan agreement’. Therefore, we’d still have a player exchange transaction.

So, the deal struck for Garnacho to join Villa appears to work for all parties – sort of. Chelsea believe the conditions to make Garnacho’s move to Villa permanent are ‘easily achievable’.

However, there still remains a small risk for the Blues. There has to be enough jeopardy in the deal to ensure UEFA are satisfied that a permanent move is not a foregone conclusion from the outset. The Blues will hope there’s no repeat of what happened to Harvey Elliott at Villa Park last season. A talented player left warming the bench as his main employers watch his future selling price plummet.

Therefore, seeing a resurgent Alejandro Garnacho flying down the left wing in claret and blue will be a good sight for both Villa and Chelsea.

Is Garnacho the right fit on the left for Aston Villa?

Analysis from Sky Sports’ Callum Bishop:

In a tough first season for Chelsea, Garnacho struggled to make much of an impact in an already overcrowded left-hand side. The Argentine managed just 1,217 Premier League minutes across his 25 appearances last term, an average of less than 49 minutes per game.

That is less than both Rogers (1,528) and Emiliano Buendia (1,527) managed in the same position while sharing the workload off the left flank for Villa last season.

Their average returns were far superior too. Garnacho’s five goal involvements saw him average one every 243 minutes compared to Rogers’ record of a goal involvement every 90 minutes, and Buendia’s of every 190.

Should Villa bring in Garnacho, it would surely mean a tweak in Unai Emery’s system when the Argentine is on the pitch.

With Buendia and Rogers, there is a versatility that not only sees them able to play on either flank, but also show a tendency to move inside.

Garnacho has operated on the right-hand side previously. He scored a goal in the FA Cup final win for Manchester United over local rivals City while operating from that flank. Cut inside though? That is something you see far less from the winger.

His tendency is to hug the touchline and stay wide. In doing so, Emery would need to be flexible with his attacking patterns, or Garnacho would have to show adaptability. Which is more likely?