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Formula 1: Alexander Albon impresses in Red Bull Racing debut

By Benjamin Kuhl

SPA, BELGIUM - SEPTEMBER 01: Alexander Albon of Thailand driving the (23) Aston Martin Red Bull Racing RB15 leads Pierre Gasly of France driving the (10) Scuderia Toro Rosso STR14 Honda on track during the F1 Grand Prix of Belgium at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps on September 01, 2019 in Spa, Belgium. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
SPA, BELGIUM - SEPTEMBER 01: Alexander Albon of Thailand driving the (23) Aston Martin Red Bull Racing RB15 leads Pierre Gasly of France driving the (10) Scuderia Toro Rosso STR14 Honda on track during the F1 Grand Prix of Belgium at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps on September 01, 2019 in Spa, Belgium. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) /
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After being thrust into a top Formula 1 team at Red Bull Racing, Alexander Albon impressed in the 2019 Belgian Grand Prix at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.

It was hard to pin down accurate expectations for Aston Martin Red Bull Racing’s newest Formula 1 driver when the shock decision was made over the summer break that resulted in Pierre Gasly being sent back down to Scuderia Toro Rosso, the Red Bull Racing sister team he drove for last year.

The question persisted: what would define a successful first race for Alexander Albon?

From the outset of the Belgian Grand Prix race weekend, the opportunity for success looked diminished, as Albon was forced to take a grid penalty for replacing engine components and started in 17th place, four places behind Gasly in 13th.

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The action started quickly for the 23-year-old Thai-British driver. At turn one, lap one, of the 44-lap competition around the 19-turn, 4.352-mile (7.004-kilometer) Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps road course in Stavelot, Belgium, teammate Max Verstappen made contact with Alfa Romeo Racing’s Kimi Raikkonen.

This caused trouble for multiple drivers who were caught up in the mayhem. Thankfully, Albon was able to escape any damage and even capitalize on the misfortune of other drivers.

The next test came in the form of Gasly. It would have been understandable had Albon finished behind Gasly, with the latter having significantly more experience with the Toro Rosso team as well as driving a Formula 1 car at Spa. But Albon left no doubt, passing Gasly and never looking back.

At the end of the 44-lap competition, Albon secured his career-best result in Formula 1 by finishing in fifth place. Gasly managed to finish in a respectable ninth. This result also gave Albon the accolade of being the higher finishing Red Bull Racing driver after Verstappen crashed out.

While Gasly in no way drove a bad race, this race reinforced the idea that the 23-year-old Frenchman was not the right choice to occupy a top seat in the Red Bull Racing program. Comparing Toro Rosso teammates, Gasly started in 14th place and finished in ninth while Daniil Kvyat started in 19th and finished in seventh.

While Albon has started his career with Red Bull Racing in spectacular fashion, it is far too early to draw any concrete decisions from just one Grand Prix. With that said, he has started in one of the best ways possible. He started deep in the pack, avoided contact, performed calculated overtakes and beat the driver he replaced, albeit in cars with different pace.

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Alexander Albon will not have long to wait to back up his stellar performance, as the next race on the 2019 Formula 1 schedule, the Italian Grand Prix, is scheduled to take place next Sunday, September 8. This race is set to be broadcast live from Autodromo Nazionale Monza in Monza, Italy on ESPN2 beginning at 9:05 a.m. ET.

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