Albon opens up about the most difficult year of his career

Si Alexander albon gravitates in the landscape of Formula 1 since 2019, he hasn't always been behind the wheel. The Thai with his contagious sympathy seems perfectly integrated into the paddock and his seat Williams, but the path so far has not been the easiest. He notably recounts his year both so close and so far from the track, in 2020, where he served as a reservist with Red Bull. " I was there, watching Checo and Max collect points for Red Bull, and it killed me, says the pilot. Not because I wasn't happy with their success. I promise, I was happy for them. I worked with them all winter to get the car working in the simulator. I remembered all the problems with Max the year before, the team and I spent hours in a dark room analyzing the data, making sure the car was on track.", he says, before adding: “ When we got to the test and I saw the guys saying the car was working really well, I was very happy. But I wanted to be on the track. »

Albon was then champing at the bit during the period “ the most difficult of his career », he who only dreamed of tasting again the premier category of which he had been deprived. And in one of the most difficult selections in sport, where only 20 chosen ones have the opportunity to present themselves as Formula 1 drivers each year, his ouster was a source of questioning: “ How many drivers lose their place and never come back? How many drivers are there for a few seasons, and disappear from F1? It's a cruel environment, I know. Many believed that I would be one of those who would just disappear, who would not be given a second chance. »

The key to finding his way back to the grid was perseverance for the driver: “ I didn't want to be that person, the one you forget “, he asserts. Within a structure that he already knew well, Albon having started at Toro Rosso in 2019, he recounts his investment in the shadow of the first title of Max Verstappen : " During the winter, whatever tasks were given to me, I did them. Working late on data visualizations or doing hundreds of rounds in the simulator. I reached a new level of motivation, I was almost crazy. Do you want a reserve pilot? All right, you'll have the best backup pilot you've ever seen in your life. » 

2019 and 2020, a strange dream for Albon

The Thai also looks back on his unexpected and unexpected stint in the Red Bull house, leaving his place at Toro Rosso to a Pierre Gasly in trouble. Albon remembers the announcement of this replacement, which he only learned half an hour before the entire Formula 1 ecosystem knew: “ Like all drivers, this is where you want to be. Win races. Fighting for championships. This is why we do this job. But I also tried to take a step back… I knew how good Pierre was. He is extremely talented. He had more experience than me, too. And for some reason it didn't work at Red Bull, they swapped for me. »

Unfortunately, Albon was unable to avoid the steamroller that the Red Bull can represent with his second drivers, alongside an all-powerful Verstappen. “ I was so naive, observes the pilot. I didn't know what it meant to compete for a top team. I had 12 F1 races under my belt. How was I going to do it? How much time will I need to adapt? » 

« I had no reference points, I couldn't know what I didn't know, remembers the one who then found himself propelled into one of the most ejectable seats on the grid. I tried to learn as much and as quickly as possible. But Red Bull is not a place to learn. And it's normal, I understand it, they are there to win races. When I got into the car and had done several sessions, I thought of Pierre. I understand, I understand my friend. » During his Austrian campaign, the driver scored the first two podiums of his career: at the Tuscan Grand Prix and the Bahrain Grand Prix.

The passage was lightning, but the Red Bull storm passed. Albon now analyzes this period with more perspective, without wanting to “ blame Red Bull or Max ": " The car is set up in one way, around the leader of the team, and that is Max. I totally understand why. At the end of the day, he is one of the greatest drivers of all time. But he has a very particular driving style, he likes the car set up in such a way that it is difficult for other drivers to adapt to it. » Thanks to the departure of the Thai, Sergio Pérez was welcomed into the Red Bull family as a servant of the Dutch champion, leaving Albon in the lurch. Though… 

Albon, perfect candidate for Williams

Albon's year as a reserve was a way of getting his head above water. When you don't like the job, it's time to change: " I did what everyone does to get a job. I made my CV. But mine didn't look like it usually does. I made an Excel table with my lap times, I categorized several data with color codes. There was red, green, yellow, it was a real spectacle. I was quite proud of it. »

A spontaneous application which bore fruit, Albon knocking on Jost Capito's door in the Williams house to submit his CV. If the first exchanges with the former manager of the Grove garage were already positive, the London native received the support of a valuable internal ally: “ It seems George was complimentary about me too (Thanks George), he wrote. I was really happy about this opportunity at Williams and, despite the interest shown by other teams, Jost made me feel at home. »

Despite a still difficult season for the British team, which finished last in the Manufacturers' championship and whose structure was turned upside down by the departure of Jost Capito and his technical mastermind François Xavier Demaison, the dynamic seems to be on the rise. Albon scored points three times in his Williams: in Australia (10th), Miami (9th) and Belgium (10th). At the end of the season, the Thai secures his place in the British seat for two years.

James Vowles at the reins, Logan sargeant to support Albon, and successful pre-season tests compared to previous years, Williams is gradually regaining color. Not enough to infiltrate the looming battle for fourth place, but enough to defend themselves and avoid the bottom of the ranking. And one thing is certain, Albon will be there.

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