Alex Albon no longer has a link with Red Bull in the wake of his new deal with Williams, the racer has revealed.
After a year out of Formula 1 in 2021, his return to the grid was announced in the latter half of that year. He was to join Williams and race alongside Nicholas Latifi, though Red Bull made it clear they would be retaining a relationship with their former driver.
And so Albon has remained in contact with his old team, all the while his contract with Williams was just for the current season. But now that he has signed a multi-year extension, his affiliation with Red Bull is officially over.
Albon said as much in conversation with Mirror Sport ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix. Asked about where he stands with Red Bull, he replied: “That’s pretty much it now – I’m a total Williams driver.
“I had a link with Red Bull through this year – I still have a great relationship with Red Bull, like Williams they gave me a chance in Formula 1 and I really enjoy the people there, they’ve always been really supportive to me. But now it’s more of a focus with Williams.”
While he is no longer linked to his old team, Albon will always retain an affinity for the organisation which helped him to reach and establish himself within F1. So he is very pleased to see Red Bull and his old team-mate Max Verstappen dominating both championships this season.
(
Getty Images)
The Dutchman is 93 points clear of his nearest challenger, team-mate Sergio Perez, with eight races to go. And Red Bull’s advantage over Ferrari in the constructors’ championship has now been extended to a huge 118 points.
“Max, Red Bull, they’ve really hit their stride in the last couple of years,” Albon added. “They’ve always been good at regulation changes historically, and even the stuff they did with Honda and going into the new era with their Powertrains, it’s impressive.
“They’re really creating their own team. For sure, I don’t think it’s going to be a runaway – we know what Mercedes can do and what Ferrari have got, they still have a very strong car – but [Red Bull] have the upper hand at the moment.”
