F1 is not entirely averse to comeback stories, but they are rare given the fact that only 20 drivers are part of a season at a given time. It naturally means there is limited movement inside the field and for newcomers too, they often need to bide their time to get an opportunity.
Alex Albon presents a peculiar case in the sense that his Red Bull career had such a short span before he was dispensed with that most thought he would struggle to find a seat in the pinnacle of motorsport.
However, after getting a ride with Williams, Albon has re-announced himself on the stage after guiding the team to a credible P7 finish last season.
It has created a swirl amongst the F1 community, with a potential offer from Ferrari also believed to be in place after Albon’s exploits last term.
Ferrari had yet another disappointing campaign with the driver pairing of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz failing to challenge the superiority of Red Bull in all but one Grand Prix.
Sainz consistently spoke about how the SF-23 needed a complete overhaul if Ferrari is to compete against the best, and while the team is reportedly starting from scratch ahead of the upcoming season, the Spanish driver may not stick around long enough to reap the benefits.
F1 insider Lawrence Barretto has claimed that Leclerc is in contract negotiations with Ferrari and a deal between the two is likely to take place.
However, the same cannot be said about Sainz, who is also noted to be a top prospect at Audi when they enter the sport.
If an agreement cannot be reached to extend Sainz’s deal, Ferrari has already lined up Albon as the driver who can propel them to glory alongside Leclerc.
“If an agreement can’t be done, Ferrari have no shortage of options to look upon with Alex Albon possibly one of the most highly-rated that is available,” Barretto said.
“A move to a bigger team further up the grid would be a logical next step while his stock is high.”
Sainz could very well stay at Ferrari as well, but tensions have been rising between the Ferrari duo and the team will not want this added element of drama at a time when it is looking to rebuild.
Albon, therefore, could be the perfect solution for the Prancing Horse as it looks to drive itself into a new era.
Was Albon getting rough end of stick at Red Bull?
Many will question how Albon has seemed to settle in so seamlessly at Williams after flattering to deceive at Red bull. Was it simply a case of the Milton Keynes-based outfit favouring Max Verstappen, as it has done over the years?
As far as Albon is concerned, he doesn’t want to look for excuses. Rather, he spoke about how much he was able to learn during his time at Red Bull and how that potentially set him up to make a better fist of things in his second stint in F1.
“[Red Bull] thought about how they could help me to feel more comfortable in the car,” Albon said.
“Other drivers who have gone through difficult phases in their careers, like Daniel [Ricciardo] at McLaren, found it difficult to feel comfortable in the car, so we tried to make me feel comfortable in the Red Bull.”
Social media somehow ended up making Albon more focused despite all the trolling from fans.
“The bottom line is that I feel it’s made me even better and more focussed in this area, that I understand better what feedback I need to provide, that I’ve been through these difficult months and race weekends,” he said.
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