F1 News
Albon "could never imagine" progress as driver since leaving Formula 2
- Nicolás Quarles van Ufford
After accepting his Rookie of the Year award at the FIA gala in Paris, Aston Martin Red Bull Racing driver Alexander Albon reflected on his year while still being in disbelief of it all, with the 23-year-old initially signing a Formula E deal for 2019 before being snapped up by Toro Rosso.
After an impressive Formula 2 season in 2018, Albon initially signed on at Formula E team Nissan eDams. This was before Toro Rosso came knocking on his door and put a contract on the table. Before driving a race for eDams, Albon changed sports and joined F1.
At Toro Rosso, the rookie was impressive. The only driver to have never sat in an F1 car before 2019, he needed surprisingly little time to adapt and looked more impressive as the season unfolded.
With Pierre Gasly massively struggling at Red Bull, Albon was then promoted to replace the Frenchman next to Max Verstappen. Although he's yet to score a podium, the decision definitely proved a good one.
“It’s been something I could never imagine,” the Thai driver said when accepting his Rookie of the Year award.
“Even just to be in Formula E and a professional driver, I was amazed and it felt like progress in the whole professional world of motor racing.
“Then I got the call from Toro Rosso, which was a dream come true and then fast-forward six months to get a call from Red Bull to be in the main team, it was amazing.”
Albon's secured his seat for 2020 at Red Bull, where he will be looking for his first podium and win in Formula 1. What a season it's been for Albon!