Albon opens up about his time at Red Bull, saying he would handle it differently now
In an interview with GPblog, the Thai driver spoke about his difficult time at Red Bull and discussed his current situation within the Williams team.
In just four seasons, Alexander Albon experienced everything a driver can experience in the paddock: his arrival at Toro Rosso, a promotion to Red Bull, a blank year, and a return to F1 with Williams.
A painful experience at Red Bull
For a year and a half, Albon piloted alongside Max Verstappen, with little success. Only two podium finishes to his name with the Milton Keynes team. The Thai driver justifies his lack of performance, among other things, by a lack of experience: “I had only competed in 12 races in my Formula 1 career. I had no data about myself, I didn’t know everything.”
Another factor that contributed to underperformance was the difficulty in driving the Red Bull. “For me, the car at Red Bull was difficult to handle and I didn’t feel comfortable with it,” says the Williams driver. He also laments that the team is fully committed to Max Verstappen’s cause. “The car is uniquely set up and built around the lead driver, which is Max,” he adds. With some hindsight, the Williams driver acknowledges that he could have done things differently. “There are many things I realized I could have done differently and improved,” he admits.
A fresh start at Williams
At the end of the 2020 season, he is replaced by Sergio Pérez and becomes a reserve driver for Red Bull and AlphaTauri. In 2022, he regains a seat at Williams and quickly establishes himself as the team’s leader. He quickly scores his first points and regains some of the confidence he had lost in previous years, discussing a long-term future with Williams: “I have enough confidence in myself. I feel like I have a long-term contract with Williams,” rejoices the Thai driver.
Williams has called upon James Volwes from Mercedes this winter to take charge of the team. For Albon, the experience he brings can only be beneficial for the team. “It’s great to have this different perspective because he comes from another team,” Albon rejoices. “The experience that James brings can, I hope, push things forward and increase the evolution of the car.”
Proof of his regained confidence and the first changes in the team, he scores his first point of the season in the very first Grand Prix in Bahrain, finishing tenth, while his new teammate Logan Sargeant takes twelfth place. A promising start for what’s to come, to be confirmed in Saudi Arabia.
