Marko puts BLAME on Hamilton for current F1 star's struggles

Helmut Marko has claimed two Lewis Hamilton crashes were crucial in stopping Alex Albon thrive at Red Bull.

Alex Albon had risen up the ranks of the Red Bull academy before he was picked mid-season in 2019 to replace Pierre Gasly as a team-mate to Max Verstappen.

Albon never got on pace with the Dutchman but was on course for a morale boosting podium at the Brazilian Grand Prix before he was clumsily tagged by Lewis Hamilton, sending him into a spin and out of the points.

At the start of the following campaign in Austria he was again fighting for a win and crucial points in his Red Bull career while under pressure before being again hit by Hamilton.

Although he eventually claimed two podiums before the end of the 2020 campaign, Albon lost his seat for 2021 when he was replaced by Sergio Perez.

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Marko admits that the Thai-born British racer was 'really unlucky' and that he not had those collisions with Hamilton, his Red Bull career may have gone in another more positive direction.

"Alex was really unlucky, he told the Inside Line F1 podcast.

"In Brazil he was fighting for second when Lewis Hamilton turned him round and he lost this podium.

"Next was in Austria when Alex was fightin for the win and he was again turned around by Hamilton and that hit his confidence massively.

"A second and a win was on the table and a driver error from someone took that away. That made it difficult when his confidence was down and we needed two solid drivers to fight for the championship."

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