Alexander Albon says he has benefited a lot from his period as a test driver at Red Bull Racing. Behind the scenes he worked hard to improve the Red Bull, but he also offered a listening ear to Max Verstappen, Sergio Pérez and Yuki Tsunoda, among others. The latter he even offered tips throughout the 2021 season. When he left Red Bull, he was told by the executives what to expect at Williams.
Albon talks to Sky Sports F1 on his last season at Red Bull. After 2020 it became clear that the Thai would not have a seat in the sport for a year. Albon therefore decided to fully focus on his role as reserve driver at the Austrian racing stable. ‘I used that time to determine for myself: how can I get better?’, he says.
“I spent a lot of time with the engineers and the gentlemen in the simulator at Red Bull. I’ve learned how the team works fully, how to better fulfill my role as a driver and how to ask for what I want,” he continues. He therefore believes that he has made strides on a personal level and is now better able to lead a team.
But it didn’t stop there for the Williams driver: “On the other hand, I listened to Verstappen, Pérez and Tsunoda, and I used my experience to help Tsunoda. I feel like I have gained experience without driving the car. That felt good.’ Tsunoda got off to a strong start to 2021 but already lost form at Imola. For the rest of the year the Japanese struggled to regain that initial pace, so Albon’s help was welcome.
Albon to Williams
Albon also shares a nice anecdote about what the Red Bull top said to him when it was announced that he was leaving for Williams: “The first thing even the Red Bull executives said when I made the switch to Williams was, ‘Ah, you’re going to love it there, the food is great.’ And that didn’t come from just one person.’ He therefore thinks that Tsunoda would have a good time there too – the AlphaTauri youth seems to be preoccupied with good food.
