At Red Bull, everything is focused on Verstappen. In his sixth year of F1, he has transformed from an extremely talented teenager with sharp, wild edges to a driver who consistently exceeds his team’s expectations.
‘We need two top drivers’
The contrast with his teammate Alex Albon is great. Where Verstappen is almost adored, Albon increasingly feels the skewed looks of the other team members. The Thai is constantly dropping stitches. Experienced drivers such as Nico Hülkenberg and Sergio Perez are in the picture for 2021. Red Bull’s top advisor Helmut Marko is clear: “Albon has to show an upward trend. To attack Mercedes, we need two top drivers.”
Albon took his first F1 podium in Tuscany, but he cannot keep up with the pace of Verstappen. He realizes it, but can barely explain and put it into words. “It’s not just one thing. Max is slightly better on several fronts. My starts in particular are poor. I missed many points there.”
‘I’ll see what happens next to me’
Albon counter questions about his precarious position with rehearsed answers. “I feel support in this team. I know there is a lot going on, but pressure is part of this sport. I focus on the remaining races, want to stay here and don’t talk to other racing stables.”
Albon should expect little moral support from Verstappen. “It’s not my problem. I’ll focus on myself and see what happens next to me next year. There’s no point in talking about Alex. It’s much more important that we improve the car and it’s going in the right direction.”
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