Former F1 driver claims Red Bull have MISTREATED rising star

Photo: © LAT Images

Red Bull

Former F1 driver claims Red Bull have MISTREATED rising star

He has excelled in recent races

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Tuesday 5 September 2023 17:57

Former Formula 1 driver Giedo van der Garde has said that Alex Albon may have been judged too quickly at Red Bull, and his current Williams performances may be giving Red Bull cause for regret.

The Thai driver has been in excellent form in recent races, racking up 21 points for a team who had been fighting right at the back of the grid up until this season.

He has single-handedly helped Williams to climb up to seventh place in the constructors' championship, with his team-mate Logan Sargeant not scoring any points.

Article continues under video

In the drivers' championship, Albon is currently sitting in 13th position, and will have his eye on a top ten finish before the season comes to a close.

His performances since the summer break in particular have caught the eye, putting in a supreme lap to qualify in fourth in the Dutch Grand Prix and finishing the race in eighth, before qualifying sixth at Monza and finishing in seventh.

Van Der Garde has been very impressed with Albon, telling Viaplay viewers: "It's definitely a driver who is very surprising this year.

"It's a car and a team that keeps making strides, but he really does have the number 1 position within the team, so he also has a lot of confidence, everyone believes in him, the team believes in him, he can also bring the car to himself, and you can see that - that he keeps making strides."

Red Bull regrets?

Alex Albon was Verstappen's team-mate in 2020 in the Red Bull team

Red Bull certainly won't be worried about Albon's form right now, having won all 14 of the races so far this season between their pairing of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.

However, Perez's contract is for renewal after the 2024 season, and the likelihood is the team will try and replace the Mexican with someone more able to provide a challenge to Verstappen.

In this sense, Red Bull might be wishing they had given Albon more of a chance when he was driving with the team in the latter part of 2019, and in 2020.

Although he struggled in the car at the time, his form now is probably second only to Verstappen, and it's clear to see that he could be a regular podium sitter in a faster car.

Indeed, he may even be hoping that he can challenge for a podium in the Williams before the season's out if their impressive straight-line speed remains, with plenty of high-speed circuits coming up.

"I think he is performing incredibly well, and sometimes I think 's***, did Red Bull maybe let him go too early'?"