Formula 1: Alexander Albon continues to show promise
Red Bull Racing rookie Alexander Albon secured the best result of his Formula 1 career in the Japanese Grand Prix following an impressive qualifying performance.
Max Verstappen looked like he was becoming the worst teammate in Formula 1 this season, with Pierre Gasly and then Alexander Albon looking entirely incapable of matching his rapid qualifying pace.
Albon has certainly done a better job in race situations than Gasly, never finishing lower than sixth since he took over the second Red Bull Racing seat five races ago. However, his one-lap record was beginning to look similarly poor.
That is, until on Sunday morning at Suzuka Circuit, where the Thai driver was able to match Verstappen’s time and set himself up in sixth place on the grid. When Verstappen was forced off the track by an aggressive Charles Leclerc on lap one and with Leclerc facing damage that forced him to pit, Albon was well placed to secure a career-best finish and duly obliged.
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It wasn’t all plain sailing for Albon, who had to overtake both Carlos Sainz Kr. and Lando Norris after the two McLaren drivers got a jump on Albon at the start.
Albon also survived an incident with Norris that could have seen him investigated by the stewards, but he rode his luck and ended up in a comfortable fourth place.
The next step for Albon is to prove his qualifying pace was not a one-off by consistently keeping himself within a few tenths of Verstappen.
Given how Gasly struggled in the first half of the season, it looks increasingly likely that Albon will keep his Red Bull Racing seat for 2020, and he also has a great opportunity to secure sixth place in the driver championship this season.
For a man who was looking at a season in Formula E at this time last year and thought his Formula 1 dream was over, it has been a brilliant turnaround for which he deserves huge credit.
His wheel-to-wheel skills have particularly been hugely impressive, with his ability to cut through traffic and pass slower cars with ease setting him apart from Gasly, who would often get stuck behind the Renault and McLaren drivers.
Albon has also shown a mature ability to adapt quickly and learn from his mistakes. It was the wind at Sochi Autodrom that caused him to crash, but he dealt with similarly violent crosswinds at Suzuka Circuit and delivered an excellent qualifying time.
He also delivered a fantastic performance at the Hockenheimring in the rain when he was still driving for Toro Rosso despite the fact he had never driven a Formula 1 car in the rain before.
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Alexander Albon may still have a way to go before he is matching Max Verstappen on a weekly basis, but for a driver who finished in 10th place in the Formula 2 driver championship in 2017, his rise to one of the best seats in motorsport has been rapid. It is a credit to his ability and maturity that he has been able to adjust so quickly and so effectively.