Silliest claim of F1 silly season? 'Albon has THREE-YEAR Red Bull offer'

Alex Albon smiles as Max Verstappen looks stunned — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

Silliest claim of F1 silly season? 'Albon has THREE-YEAR Red Bull offer'

The driver market is well and truly hotting up - but this might be a step too far!

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Saturday 3 February 2024 16:27

Formula 1 journalist Peter Windsor has suggested that Williams star Alex Albon has been offered a three-year contract with world champions Red Bull.

Lewis Hamilton's shocking switch to Ferrari for the start of the 2025 season is likely to set in motion a huge chain of seat switching, particularly due to the fact that 13 drivers are currently due to be out of contract at the end of the upcoming 2024 season, including Albon.

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The Thai driver is being heavily linked with Hamilton's now vacant seat at Mercedes, but with world champions Red Bull likely to be wanting to replace Sergio Perez at the end of 2024, it may become a shootout between several teams for the 27-year-old's signature.

Albon previously raced with Red Bull at the back end of 2019 and for a full season in 2020, before being replaced by Perez ahead of 2021.

That particular move left Albon without a full-time seat for a season, before Williams swooped in to sign him for the 2022 season. Since then, the Thai driver has been consistently putting in some brilliant performances as the team's number one driver, and almost single-handedly claimed seventh for the Grove-based team in 2023.

Alex Albon previously raced with the Red Bull team in 2019 and 2020

Alex Albon has had a new lease of life with the Williams team

Albon to Red Bull: Is there potential for a return?

Windsor, though, that Albon could be on his way to Red Bull for the 2025 season, and insisted he had already been offered a deal on his YouTube live stream.

“As I understand it, Albon has been offered a three-year contract by Red Bull to start in 2025,” he said.

“So I think you are going to see him alongside Max Verstappen in the Red Bull. I can't imagine he is going to say no to it. As I understand it's not a 100 per cent but 90 per cent correct."

Hamilton's Ferrari switch may just have sparked the silliest of all silly seasons, with multiple drivers being linked with multiple seats up and down the F1 grid.

But this claim may be just be a little too silly to be true.

Red Bull Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Formula 1 Williams Alex Albon