F1 RACING JANUARY 2020 83PICTURES
WORDS
SCOTT MITCHELL
AlexanderAlbonnearly
quit racing whenRed
Bull dropped him from
its driver-development
programme. As late as
last year, he thought his
Formula 1 dream was
over so signed a deal
to race inFormula E.
What a difference 12
months makes – this
is his journey...
lex Albon likes to live life on the edge.
Well, maybe “likes” is astretch. But he’s
got damned used to it. Seven years ago,
Red Bull dropped him without a second thought,
a decision that left Albon “on the brink of
stopping racing all together”. Now the 23-year old
has completed his journey from Red Bull protégé
to Red Bull reject to Red Bull Formula 1 driver at
the perfect time, and the only brink he stands on
is one that heralds the chance of a lifetime.
Red Bull has more momentum in Formula 1
than it has had for the best partof a decade.SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SATFEB
2019
12345678910 11 12 13 14 15 1617 18 19 20 21 22 2324 25 26 27 28IN AT THE DEEP END
Max Verstappen will spearheadwhat could be a title assault in 2020, and Albon has
been entrusted as his deputy. It is a colossal turnaround for a driver with no Formula 1
prospects barely 12 months ago, let alone one whose entire career could have ended
at any point since 2012.A
Resilience is the key themein Albon’s story. He wasdropped by Red Bull
after poor results as a car-racing rookie in Formula Renault, and a difficult
personal situation with his mother being imprisoned, but sincethose rockyfi rst
steps in 2012, his ability has blossomed.
After “begging” DAMS to give him ashot in 2018, race-winning Formula 2
performances led to a multi-year deal to race in Formula E with Nissan. A newly
re-interested Red Bull had tofi ght to get Albon released from that contract,
which precluded his involvement in the end-of-season Abu Dhabi test.
He had to wait until Toro Rosso’s shakedown in Italy, a fewdays before pre-
season testing in Barcelona, to drive an F1 car for thefi rst time, so focused on
upping histraining over the winter and doing a lotof reading. “A lot of driver
books,” he said with a smile in the cold Barcelona paddock. “I couldn’t believe
that – the steering wheel pages are quite thick!”
Having mastered a basicgrasp of thetechnology, Albon had totranslatetheory
into practice. And, on his outlap,he spun intothe gravel. “Iwas thinking ‘don’t
spin it’, and that’s exactly what Idid,” hesaid with a sheepish grinlater on.
Toro Rosso wasn’t concerned. Team principal Franz Tost backed Albon to be
“one of the positive surprises of the year”, and though Albon felt “abit like a
dog withthe tail between the legs” after his spin, by the end of testing he was
almost as positive as his bosses.
“I won’t know everything by Australia, that’s for sure,” he admitted. “I won’t
be driving at 100% straight away. It will take time, and I know that.”
PICTURES:ANDYHONE