F1 star admits lack of knowledge led to brutal sacking

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F1 star admits lack of knowledge led to brutal sacking

Alex Albon believes he's in a better position to rival Max Verstappen now

Cal Gaunt

Wednesday 3 January 2024 15:57

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Alex Albon is confident that he would present a stronger challenge to Max Verstappen if given another opportunity with Red Bull, a chance he believes he is now better prepared for than during their initial partnership.

The British-Thai driver had a brief 18-month stint with Red Bull from 2019 to 2020, entering the F1 scene after just 12 races with sister team AlphaTauri.

Despite initially living in Verstappen's shadow, Albon has made a successful return to the grid with Williams in 2022, consistently pouncing on points-scoring opportunities.

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Now 27, he believes that with his heightened experience and skills, he would be better poised to excel within the Red Bull set-up.

Alex Albon spent 18-months alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull

Alex Albon regularly scored points with Williams in 2023

Albon: I wasn't able to give fede

"Other drivers who went through difficult phases in their careers, like Daniel [Ricciardo] at McLaren, had a hard time feeling comfortable in the car," he told Motorsport Total.

"So we tried to make me feel comfortable in the Red Bull. That somehow never really worked out. With the knowledge I have today, I could have done it. But in hindsight it's easy to say.

"The bottom line is that I feel that going through these difficult months and race weekends has made me even better and more focused in this area, I have a better understanding of what feedback I need to provide. I have stronger self-confidence today. I know better what the car has to be like in order to perform better.

"When I sit in these meetings, not only with the engineers on the track, but also with the aerodynamicists and technicians in the factory, with the people who are developing the car for next year, then today I know much better what I'm talking about. I understand the car and its strengths and weaknesses better. Then, you have the courage to say more.

"At Red Bull I still had to learn, so I wasn't able to provide much feedback on where I wanted the car to go because I first had to learn to understand what the car actually does and why."