So, Red Bull want Alex Albon back...
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- Опубликовано: 8 фев 2024
- Motorsport(dot)com are reporting that Red Bull have offered Alex Albon a "first option" deal for 2026. Let's talk about it.
Full article: www.motorsport.com/f1/news/re...
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Is this just a play to keep Mercedes hands off him? Also, what does this mean for Ricciardo's potential Red Bull return dream?
Of course! This is RB and Merc, this IS F1
@@BoyeeSmudgerAlex should go to Merc. At least they’d treat him better.
@@gameofender4463Alex doesn't seem to have any bad feelings since leaving. I think RB have pushed this to get some noise away from Horner.
@@BoyeeSmudgerWouldn’t be surprising if they had.
Alex should never go back to Red Bull. It will turn out the same as when he was there last. It is team Verstappen. Also Red Bull might not be that good in 2026 if they dont get best engine.
Mercedes would be best for Alex, or stay at Williams.
They just don't want mercedes to get him
RB don’t deserve him.
Smart play.
Yes nothing here says they are even considering him for a drive, only they want first dibs if someone else wants him. Merc comes knocking im sure a seat at Vcarb will suddenly become available. RB setting up similar to the harem of prospective drivers mclaren had was it last yeat?
Merc are definitely not considering him
mercedes should take him because red bull would just drop him after 2 years
I'm worried the Red Bull machine might chew him up and spit him out again. That's not a dig at his abilities as a driver. With the way that team is structured, I'm concerned that second seat is a career twister for anyone regardless of their talent and experience. Albon seems to thrive in an environment where he's given the space and opportunity to be a lead driver, which I don't see happening at Red Bull - especially considering that this seemingly impulsive move by RB contradicts the long term goals concerning their driver line-up.
Worried? That’s going to happen for sure
Red Bull Cockpit along Max is Suicide !!!
Red Bull will need two drivers who can fire on all cylinders long term. It's fine for now, but especially once we're in 2026. But is that even possible with Max in the team?
RB has always been ruthless in how they treat their 2nd driver whenever they are fighting for WDC. Look at Multi 21 and Webbers comments and Gasly, Albon and Checo and even to a lesser degree Ricciardo. This already puts the 2nd driver in a tough position since they are replaceable from day 1 and don’t receive any support.
You may say this is unfair, but at the end of the day it works(7 WDC in 14 years). It is also not just RB that does this, but they just do it to a more extreme degree than teams like Merc(Bottas-Lewis, Nico-Lewis and George-Lewis) and Ferrari(Nando-Massa, Vettel-Kimi and Schumi-Rubens).
That combined with Max being a pretty decent driver makes it a very tough seat that is pretty much impossible to perform well in.
Moving to RB will be especially a made move because Christian Horner might be on the way out because of the allegations.
With Helmut and Papa Verstappen in the mix, his life will be hell there..
If Alex is making a move it should be to either Merc or Aston Martin
Mental how Alex went from having no drive to having any drive on the grid potentially
Very gratifying as a day 1 Albon fan 🙌
I really hope he stays at Williams rather than being destroyed by Max again. I think Alex improved but he only beat Latifi and Sargeant we don't really know if he can even be at a top team and RBR is the worst top team to be at rn...
Stay at Williams or go Mercedes is best for Alex. Never again Red Bull.
Aston Martin is the most exciting option to me. Then Mercedes - him & George as teammates would be a vibe.
@@TommoOnRUclips I agree
@@TommoOnRUclips Could be a similar situation like Rosberg and Hamilton. Rose through the junior careers together and lost their friendship to fierce battles for the championship.
@@munze6870you guys say the same thing about everyone bruh
People seem to forget that rather than being spat out by redbull, he was taken into the development for the updated car, they heavily credited him for the success of that development. Then they helped him get a seat at williams.
They didnt split ways on a bad term, but have kept supporting him (unlike for example with gasly)
Yes! This is something I got fed up of explaining. If you listen to the screams of joy on the radio when Max won the first championship, you hear Alex most! They paid him to go to DTM whilst keeping him connected to the F1 team. They genuinely love him, I'm convinced of it (but then so does everyone lol).
Oh yeah Red Bull would love to have him back
"experts".
@@y_fam_goeglydYeah he was screaming, "OH MY LORD MAX" at AD21 when Max won
@@sarimsalman2698 actually it was GP who screamed that. But Albon was happy too.
The truth is Alex will be a second driver regardless of signing with Mercedes or Red Bull, so he's better off staying with Williams and developing the team further
Not if he wants to win races and titles.
@@kb5509 it’s not gonna be easy winning titles as the second driver🤷♂️
At least he'll have the chance to win races with Mercedes, I dont see that happening with RB or Williams
I know he wants race wins and a chance at championships, but I feel if he stays at Williams, he could become one of the biggest crowd favourites, even if he can’t challenge for championships or wins.
@@tubthungusbychumbungus Yeah Mercedes would be best bet for Alex. Who knows if Mercedes builds best engine for 2026 then Alex would be new Bottas at least.
Looking at Albons options makes me want a video diving into the team structure/ culture of the top teams - feel like it's a massive part of Albons future move
Red Bull's 2nd seat, sooner or later is a career killer. Even tho Merc arent the team they once were, they won't just chew him up and spit him out like RB inevitably will.
Also, its interesting to note that their offering him 2026, by which point its entirely possible with that years rule changes that they wont be the dominant machine they are at the moment. Merc is just the smarter career choice for Albon, even if right now they're not really competing for championships
People keep saying things like this as an excuse. It´s easy to blame Red Bull for the failing of your favorit driver. Everybody who got chewed up just wasn´t good enough. Ricciardo came into the second seat and beat Vettel who was the clear number one at that time. When Max joined he was the clear number two but he survived just like Ricciardo because those two were much better than all the other Red Bull drivers who got chewed up. This is just the harsh reality.
Perez and Albon have spoken about the car and that it´s build the fastest way possible by the team and not specifically for Max. He can handle a more unstable car so they push for maximum speed at the cost of drivability. This is the second excuse people often use which is a load of BS. The car isn´t designed with Max in mind.
If you are good enough you will have succes at Red Bull. All the other stuff is just excuses to tell yourself something because you can´t handle the truth.
@norbertjanssen814
Did I read it wrong, or do the first sentence in your second paragraph and the last sentence of your third paragraph not contradict each other.
@@aberamagold7509 The team push it further than the second driver can handle. That's different than designing a car that Verstappen likes or fits his style. If the second driver was better there wouldn't be a problem.
@@norbertjanssen814 they created a car that likes extreme oversteer which is similar to max style any other driver who doesn't have a driving style similar to max will always struggle even lando who has similar style to max is not sure about joining RB because you will have to beat max in his own game which difficult as hell
@@Orion-ns8hj If Perez and Albon say they havn´t build it for Max and that it´s just the fastest way to build the car. Who are you or anyone else to say different.
Let's be honest they don't they just don't want Merc to have him.
Based on what I've read, its an offer that gives Red Bull the first option to pick him up for 2026... completely their prerogative. Even if he signed the deal and wanted to go there, they could still decide to pass. Sounds like they basically want to tie him up and make it more unappealing for anyone else to sign him more than anything else. Do you think Mercedes would take a run at him for 2025 knowing that Red Bull could decide to steal him away (along with his internal Mercedes knowledge) for 2026? If they truly think that highly of him and wanted him back, then offer a real, binding, contract and not a "first option" deal that gives them all the power.
Was your comment written in code? 😂
Peter Windsor was right, guy's got connections
He is in effect a Red Bull driver, but has been a successful driver for a Mercedes-customer team
All F1 drivers have connections...
The Thai owners want Alex back in the car. Christian was summoned to Thailand during the summer break to talk about the future of the racing team. Wouldn't be too far fetched if they asked to put Alex back in the seat. He himself has always said that he wouldn't be opposed to going back to RB but under different conditions. He has way more car knowledge than Checo or DR for that matter and the Alex of now will do way better.
I must say Alex is one of the best stories I've seen on the grid, hopefully he's got a bright future ahead of him
Its crazy how people just seem to have forgotten how RB gave up on Albon just a few years ago
Nobody’s forgotten.
In the contrary, he shouldn’t have been shoved in an RB seat in the first place
@@thecompanioncube4211 this! he just wasn't ready for a seat in a top team, which i can't blame him for since he was still very green, he's matured a lot now and i think he can perform much better than he did earlier
"Gave up" men didnt perform had the worst quali gap to Max of ANY driver EVER even checo is on average closer still and got the seat as the 3th driver because without there backing he pretty much would be out of the sport already. I never get how people act like they personally have problems after parting ways. People like Bottas hate Merc probably way more then Albon RB same as Gasly RB or Vettel Ferrari...
They didn´t. They helped him get the Williams seat and he was part of the development team around the 2021 car. It´s crazy how people just seem to forget how bad Alex was in that final Red Bull year.
I don't think RB would treat him the same again. When he first joined RB, they knew Max was good but they didn't know he was THAT good. He is an all-time great and so giving Alex a long chance, someone who has proved to be pretty great in every other seat than next to Max, makes far more sense now they know that Max is generational, not just good.
Still, the best he can hope for is 2nd at RB. If he goes to Merc he can hope that their 2026 car pulls itself together and is actually competitive for the championship, rather than basically spending his whole career being a 2nd driver. Imo it's better to be in the situation of e.g. George Russell or Lando Norris than Sergio Perez, even if it means less short term success.
Gunther's firing, Hamilton's move to Ferrari (and kicking out Sainz in the process), Horner's accusation (and possible removal from team principal)...
Silly season becoming "Silly pre-season"
Forgot Madrid 2026 announcement, Andretti bombshell, team rebrands, livery launch. Man what 2024 has been already…
@@magnustan841 I was so focused on driver/team member moves, that I forgot about other F1-related news...
Man, what a year (it's only been 1 1/2 months 😅)
Yea, but it’s also not the same max from 2019 to the 2023 max. We have max 2.0 terminator status. So comparing 2023 max vs checo and 2019 max vs Alex is kinda hard.
I need to say, that the Gran Turismo 4 soundtrack at background gave me huge nostaliga! Love it
I don't think he wants to go back to Red Bull, he has stated so in the past. Williams, Aston Martin or Mercedes appear to me a much better deal for him. Sooner or later, with Hamilton leaving Mercedes and Alonso eventually retiring, there are/will be big seats left open and up for grabs. Albon is in a great position to secure a lucrative deal for the near future.
Not sure if he wants to be again the 2nd driver alongside Max
Sad Honey Badger noises
I still haven’t gotten over Austria 2020. Had Lewis not taken Albon out, I believe Alex would have won that race. 10 laps were remaining and he was on new softs and Valtteri was still on the hards. Might have changed the whole season for him, confidence wise. I believe he’d have a much better go this time around at RBR and the Thai family who control 50 percent of Red Bull would want him back. But Mercedes would still be a better fit in my opinion. I think Albon and Alonso are the two keys to everything. One of these two will be at Red Bull and the other will be at Merc.
Alex had a gearbox issue he would’ve retired anyway
@@josiahboatengmyrie That issue was a direct result of the collision.
First! I hope he stays with Vowles
Peter Windsor already reported on this several days ago, maybe even last week,a 3 year contract has been offered to Albon.
I don't think he will take the offer, because 1. He doesn't like the way Red Bull threats him 2. He is forever scarred by Verstappen 3. He likes Williams/Mercedes more
It’s not a 3 year, it’s a first option which isn’t a guaranteed seat. I think they they’ll see if Ricciardo can return to his best and if not they’ll try to sign Albion
As much as I like albon and rb I think he should help Williams back to the mid field or even back to glory in ~10 years. I think such a small team would appreciate loyalty more than any other so it would be a great opportunity to bring a legendary team back to where they belong.
Just because they are loosing in th Last 10 years, it doesn't mean that they are "such a small team". On the contrary, Williams is still Williams. Just wanted to clarify that.
Until we meet again!
I mean, he only has one career... loyalty is fine but ultimately he wants to be in a competitive car and have the chance to win races...and potentially a championship. Williams is definitely improving but it's very unlikely they will be a top 4 team, even in 5-8 years, at which time Albon will be mid 30's. There's also no guarantee that Vowels (sp?) Will be there anyway...I'm pretty sure he will be back at Merc in a few years when Toto decides to take a less direct role ( and trust me, he will do this within 5 years)
“They are racing me so hard.” This comes to mind. I love Albon! I’m worried if we goes to RB they will destroy my boy
Even if the Merc isn’t faster. It’d be a better team for Alex. As Merc take care of their drivers.
Plus, as his best friend, George is probably more willing to help Alex than Max would.
But will Kimi be coming for his seat? Aston Martin would be a more secure long term option.
Ah so now red bull don’t take care of their drivers 😂😂
@@TommoOnRUclips In my opinion. If history is any example. Kimi wouldn’t be going to Merc till 2027, maybe longer. As they had only wanted George to do two years at Williams when it was terrible. And George was as impressive Pre-F1 as Kimi is.
With a better Williams that maybe a consistent points scorer. I can see them letting Kimi stay at Williams to really build himself up and gain experience without the immediate pressure of an elite driver like George.
dont know if he will get it but partnering russel at merc would be the better environment for alex I think
I still hope they’ll go for Daniel Ricciardo
Ricciardo has done nothing to deserve it
@@charliemorris4641 I agree. Daniel’s stint at McLaren was laughable, while Alex’s return to F1 was amazing
McClaren themselves were laughthable when he was there, takes two to tango mate @@BunsMcGundy
I hope Riccardo takes the seat Aston Martin when Alonso goes to Mercedes
@@CH-yp5by I like Ricciardo a lot, but based on performances, I think Albon deserves it more, plus he’s a bit fresher imo
Just a thought. You can turn down the bgm a bit. It is a bit loud and distracting.
Ricciardo punching air right now
as an albon fan, in the end i think he would do a good thing to move to red bull, in the end it's the best car in the grid and he can win a bunch of races even as a second driver, in mercedes too he would be the 2nd driver, the only better moves would be aston martin-honda and audi, these are constructors that from 2026 may challenge for wins amd he could be the lead driver in these teams(i do not include alpine because we all know them😂)
but what about riccard. if he gets up to the quality again he had 2018 with max, they are the perfect duo. or maybe even a little slower than max to avoid crashes like baku 2018 haha
How would Aston Martin be the best move for Albon? If last season showed us anything, it's that Williams is on the path forward, and AM are progressing backwards. Don't think that would be a great environment for him. RB could be interesting, but there are so many drivers there already. I honestly hope Williams get the regs for 2026 right and Albon stays, I think that would be the best scenario. Aston Martin has only shown to be capable of building a car that's great in the early season, but then lack the knowledge to develop the car through the season. It happened when they were Force India, it happened when they were Racing Point, and it happened again last season as Aston Martin.
Oh really?
You're an F1 engineer?
RBR have 4 seats to fill. They'll have Riccardo, Verstappen & Lawson for sure, sounds like they're expecting Yuki to go (to AM??)
Does Red Bull include VCARB when it comes to contracts?
I've heard that some Aramco Execs want him as a potential replacement for Lance stroll at Aston Martin if Stroll doesn't improve this year
The Gran Turismo music 🤤
What is the website with the stats? F1 bites?
That gran turismo menu background music hits different
No way
Alex will have multiple options not worried for him about his progression. His skill/ know how in developing cars has put extra value in him, makes a lot of sense RB want him in 2026 since they value his car development knowledge/ communication w engineers at factory plus see his upward progression as a now seasoned driver who will be looking for a competitive car. Always have been a fan of Albon, Russell and Norris have always praised him as having the most raw talent among them growing up racing
This is like when Football clubs put the clause i so players wont join certain clubs. I've reallocate got on board the Albon to Mec train I think he would do very well against George.
pobbaly to keep him the rb family, but doubting it would be to replace perez.
Albons second race for williams showed he never lost the speed and talent as he did wonders just like he did with the torro rosso, but crucially the top team environment is probably the issue albeit the current red bull is far more of a stable car so he wont feel as pressured on track as he was with the loose 2020 car. Until it happens we wont know especially because the teamates he has recently have been spanners
was this recorded this morning
I’d probably go to Merc if they’d have me. If they get the car and engine right for 26 then maybe he can beat Russell if he slips up under pressure a few too many times, and I think he’d be happier there than at Redbull while still having more to fight for than he would at Williams.
It’s a good middle ground
Gran Turismo Music makes anything better!! Keep this going Tommo!!! 💯💯💯💯
i think he needs to do a piastri and put his foot down saying he wont wait around to be their option in the wings, there is no reason they couldn't approach him and sign him if they want to down the road there is no reason to be signed to them specifically
Could this be red bull not planning for a max team mate could this possibly be planning to replace max? With whats going on alot of people are reporting that horner could be gone and it sounds serious and i think if he leaves then adrian and max wont be far behind i think ? Does this make sense or am i well off with this? Idk
Edit I wrote that before u mentioned what's going on so maybe I am on to something
I honestly don’t think Alex HAS to move teams, we have not seen how competitive next season’s Williams is yet, in the long term it could be up to where it was around 2014 or 2015
I’m sorry but by now, everyone on the grid, off the grid know what to expect if they join Max at RB. This is especially true for Alex. If he feels he has grown and can take that next step, then what’s the problem? Alex was forced into his first stint at RB but now, it’ll be entirely his decision.
I read that RB want Alex to _sign/agree to_ something that gives them first refusal to sign him when his Williams contract runs out.
It just makes no F'ing sense.
_Unless I've got it all wrong,_ does signing such a deal not mean that Alex can't talk to any other teams about joining them, he definitely can't sign a contract with them, until RB decides if they want to sign him or not?
How could _this/limiting his opportunities_ possibly benefit Alex?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On another note, has Alex not already said his piece on this subject?
Or was he just saying the right thing?
Alex will have lots of options open this year. He is definitely on Merc's list. If Merc poaches Alonso, Ocon or Riccardo, then he would be top of the list as their replacement at AM, Alpine or Visa RB.
His one risk is if he waits too long hoping for one of those seats to open, the existing opportunities will be closed with someone else before he acts.
I thought the rumour was that RB had effectively promised the seat to Liam in the future.
That’s RB for ya, they’re your best friend until you’re not. When you think you’re not they will gaslight you until you believe them again. Toxic relationship 101z
Considering how they tossed aside kvyat when they were done with him, alex would just be a seat warmer for them
Lawson would need to start at VCARB for a full season first, not the main team
No, that was False News & also it was for a Visa Cash App RB Seat…they are NOT going to put Liam straight into a Red Bull!
@@tubthungusbychumbungus And how they praised Perez on helping Max win 2021 and then just few months later in 2022 they turned their backs on him.
Woah Peter Windsor was certain this was happening
I still think Alex is a level below the top 5 of Max, Lewis, Alonso, Charles & Lando. I don't think he's even at the standard of George & Carlos. I think he's a top midfield runner like Ocon, Gasly, etc.
He'd get comfortably beaten again by Max BUT he could be okay with that if it guarantees a route out of the midfield.
I’d much rather see him at Merc partner George or alongside Alonso at Aston. Aston could be his future project to take to a championship fight as team leader, once Alonso has had a go at it of course 😊
I really hope that this is checos last year with redbull just for the people to really know how good he was as a 2nd redbull driver. Same with what happened with bottas
LET HIM COOK
Completely agree with you Tommo, the last thing I want to see is Alex end up back at RB in the shadow of Max. I do think he is good enough to drive for one of the top teams, but realistically I think he either sticks it out at Williams until the new regs in 2026, or take Lewis' seat at Merc.
If we can’t compare him with his team mate then we can compare him to a car and other people who race him then we can know how good alex were with the car he have on that point
this would be absolutely magnificent and no one can tell me otherwise
I honestly feel like Max will just leave the sport at the moment Rb is not as dominant anymore and fighting for wins is no longer an option.
The 2026 regs dont sojnd that great for RB.
Max loves Endurance racing and he probably rather do that instead.
That's why RB really need to look into the future.
I think you need to see what happens with Christian at RB and subsequently what Adrian Newey does in light of that. As a driver I would want to be wherever Newey is if possible.
Newey remains loyal to red bull regardless whether horner stays or not
@@adrifauzan1454 to my understanding Newey and Horner have a protection clause that would allow Newey to leave if Horner goes. Not saying it's going to happen but in the Albon situation to which I was commenting on I would want to see how that shakes out before committing to go back to RB.
@@pault5045 doesn't mean newey have to follow that clause, some rumors said they have a fallout so newey will remain in rb even if horner is fired
@@adrifauzan1454 yeah, I am in agreement with you with the exception that I am not certain enough to make the definitive statement that Newey will remain with RB. This is F1. Anything can happen.
I think they want alex because he has improved, the higher ups like him , and i think they are worried about Verstappen leaving in a few years ,and to be honest i think alex could have done a similar job compared to perez in the same machinery. If alex can be that number 2 to Verstappen staying within 2 tenths off Verstappen, and when max calls it a day he takes over for a couple of years
There is so much going on at RB right now, if Horner has to resign, how much chaos will that bring. RB developing their own engines, will they hold up as well as the Honda power plants.
Then the questions already posed about being eclipsed by Max, and can he do any better than Perez in a car designed around Max's style. Not sure it's a good idea.
Am I tripping or is the audio off by half a second?
No you're right, thought something was a bit off
@@BigPundo at first I thought it was RUclips messing up with my refresh rate because I use AdBlock but I checked on other clips and the audio and framerate is fine.
It would be really stupid for Alex to go to Red Bull again imo. A car which Max loves to drive is a car in which Alex doesn't feel comfortable.
Aston Martin might be interesting, tho Mercedes is clearly more competitive and George would be a more even teammate to Alex than Fernando. So I still think, Alex will go to Mercedes or he's staying at Williams if they get more competitive
Seems like redbull's thinking is, perez out, ricardo in, lawson in, yuki to aston, albon to pair lawson. That would be a come up for toro rosso but I think albon can do better.
I really hope that Alex doesn't go to RBR, I feel like there might be a massive implosion at the top, with repercussions on the whole team.
To me, he really shouldn't think about any new deals before the first few races in 2025 are done. With all the moves made at Williams, the new personnel, and the improvement in terms of results, I wouldn't put it past them getting close to the top when the new regs hit in 2026.
Also - it's true that we haven't seen Alex take on a proper challenger as his teammate, but his results against Latifi in 2022 were quite comparable with what George did in 2020/2021, so I think the case on who's better isn't closed just yet...
the case is absolutely closed, any unbiased person could tell you Russell is better than Albon. nothing in their junior or F1 careers would suggest Albon is on the same level
I dont think Alex will want this. He is a team leader now and gets a lot of praise. There is no point in being a second driver to Max for the rest of your carreer. Yes he might win the odd race but that can not be worth it for Alex.
For me, Albon to Red Bull is a win/win. He’s a much more mature & better driver than he was in 2020. He’s well liked in the team & RB as a whole. That being said, I also think it’d be great if Williams could build a winning team around him for the future, but not sure if I see that happening in the near term
I never understood what "option" means in that context.
Obviously no matter what we think he'll just go to the team that pays him the most. I hope Mercedes gets him or AM. Or stay with Williams and develop their car and make it competitive lol. Think about that.
RB are geniuses. They either get Ricciardo back in form, Yuki when he's in his prime, Lawson when he's entering his prime, or Albon in his prime.
They've locked themselves into an elite driver to pair with Max regardless of who it is
That gran turismo 4 music tho..
Is Alex really any better than he was a few years ago though? We won't really know until Alex is is ttersted in a frontrunning situation again. At a team like Williams in their current situation in the lower midfield a drivers good days get magnified and a drivers bad days . I've also heard rumours of Toto thinking about putting Antonelli in the Merc for 25 if he really excels in F2.
The question for Alex is can he set up the RB in a way that suites him?
In 2026 Red Bull should be after Piastri whose contract will be up. And if Red Bull is looking for someone in 26, that means ricciardo will get maximum one year in red bull (if any). Should be throwing his hat in for the Merc seat?
Forgive me if I missed a video where you explained the reasoning, but why Aston? To me, the smart move is to loot at Merc. I get that 2026 is a whole new car and every team has a shot to be the one who nails it, and no doubt that Merc blew it last time, but they nailed it the time before and look where that was able to propel them. Wouldn't it be best to bet on a team that has proven their ability to over produce the field when they get it right, and still be top 3 or 4 when they get it wrong?
I hear GT4 music in the backround!
Alex to Mercedes.. as Red Bull have the Kiwi Liam Lawson .. both were redbull buddies
Already heard this on Peter Windsor's live. He's the 1st to break the news
It's an interesting one. RB obviously promoted him too early and it messed him up. They did show him some respect and support though, and helped him secure the Williams seat because they saw his work ethic, attitude, and underlying potential. The question for Alex is whether he is ok to be a #2 driver who will always be #2 while Max is at RB...Max is fully established himself there, has the results, and has the relationships. It would require a monumental shift in relative performance to overcome this, and while Albon is a very good driver, there isn't any evidence he's good enough to convincingly vanquish Max.
At Mercedes he has a more realistic challenge. Russell would have been there a few years but at least so far does not have the results based pedigree cement him as a clear #1, so Alex would be fighting on a more even playing field. I also think he would be a better fit with the overall culture at Mercedes. I'm sure that Merc will be looking at Alex, but they do have options.
If in doubt say no Alex.
Hes better off at Mercedes imo..he might be able to challenge george where as Max he wont be allowed to. If i was him tho i would personally stick with Williams...hes a team leader there and who knows come 2026 they could be surprise frontrunners.
I might be the only person that believes this, but I think he sticks with William’s. Williams is his team, they will continue to develop that car around him and I believe under James that Team can return to the front.
I'd actually want Alex albon back into Red bulls, because he was very happy to be there but i dont know after he moved to Williams.
The thing is if he got kicked out of there again in the next season, i wont be able to look at Red bulls the same way anymore.
Could this be a backup plan if Riccardo doesn't work out in 2025?
Red Bull needs a Bottas/Perez type of driver behind Max and Alex is not that type of guy. If he can choose between RB and Merc, no question he will chose the latter.
if he wants to treated like perez gasly webber,
then red bull will do the best job at it
I think they are doing Alex a solid by driving up his value.
If RB, loses Horner, it makes Newey a free agent. Big Stroll could bring Adrian Newey over to AM and hire Alex to replace Lance (it might not happen), Alonso and Albon would be the perfect lineup for AM’s future as title contenders.
I think James Vowles has the mindset and the capability to bring Williams among the forefront judging by his recent interview on High Performance. It won't be immediate, but I believe in a few years they WILL achieve that goal. I hope Alex Albon stays with them and fight it through. I think he still needs about a year or two more to really cook.
Check his interview with Bloomberg it's also super insightful
Max did rinse him. But lewis also did a really good job of crashing into him
My prediction for the line up in 2025
Ferrari: Leclerc Hamilton
Red Bull: Verstapen Albon
Mercedes: Russel Riccardo
Aston Martin: Alonso tsunoda
Mclaren: Norris Piastri
Alpine Ocon Gasly
Audi: Sainz Schumacher
Williams: Bottas Antonelli
Haas: Hulkenberg Bearman
Viscarb: Lawson Drugoviç
I really hope Alex is smart about this.
hell no i hope3 he goes to mercedes, he'd be a great pick there
how many drivers has RBR been through since Albon? Very high if not the highest turnover rate. Will they accept an average 6 months?