Williams’ Alex Albon could follow similar career path as George Russell after impressing Red Bull chief

F1 Grand Prix of Australia - Previews
George Russell (R) of Great Britain and Williams and Alexander Albon (L) of Thailand and Red Bull Racing look on in the paddock during previews ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Australia at Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit on March 12, 2020, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

Red Bull chief engineer Paul Monaghan was impressed with the progress Alex Albon has made since stepping into Williams in 2022. This could give him an opportunity as George Russell got. Driving strongly throughout the season with a less competitive car is somewhat similar to what happened with the Briton in 2021, which gave him his big shot.

This could open gateways for the Thai driver as his improved performances in Monaghan's eyes could get him yet another opportunity with a big team. Monaghan talked about the time Albon was racing for them and how good he was, as Crash.net quoted him:

"Thinking back to Alex's time with us, he came across a very conscientious, polite, gifted driver. He had a pretty good idea of what he wanted from the car straight off. He knew when it wasn't to his liking and could tell you what was to his dislike."

However, Alex Albon's time with the team wasn't too good. His teammate was Max Verstappen and the team was undoubtedly in the latter's favor. This made them build a car that suited Verstappen more. In turn, Albon's performance kept dropping until the team chose Sergio Perez as their second driver. Monaghan talked about it as he said,

"We didn't always manage to give him a car that was adequate for his wants. Obviously, he had a pretty rapid teammate, which puts a little bit more pressure on him and he handled that."

After not having a racing seat in 2021, Albon was offered a deal with Williams where he was alongside Nicholas Latifi in 2022. He managed to score a couple of points in an uncompetitive car. He filled in for George Russell, who had shifted to Mercedes because of his excellent performance with Williams.

This could be a sign that Albon still has a chance with a bigger team in the sport, similar to George Russell.


How is George Russell's move to Mercedes linked with Alex Albon?

Alex Albon only got a chance with Williams after George Russell was picked by Toto Wolff, the team principal of Mercedes. Russell's podium finish at Spa in 2021 and his impressive performances throughout the year were some of the reasons for the same.

Similarly, Monaghan has been impressed with Albon's run at Williams, which means that he could possibly have another shot with a big team.

While returning to Red Bull might not be an option, there is a good chance that he might get hooked up with another competitive team.

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Edited by Nicolaas Ackermann
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