Red Bull F1 star suffered as a 'yes man' amid fresh twist in his career

12 January 2024 , 06:00

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Alex Albon with Red Bull colleagues in 2019 (Image: Getty Images)

Alex Albon admits he was too nice to succeed in his stint as a Red Bull driver - but now feels ready for a top Formula 1 seat again.

He was promoted to a Red Bull seat after just 12 races driving in F1 for sister team Toro Rosso. And he lasted for 18 months until he was replaced by Sergio Perez and left without a seat for the 2021 season.

Reflecting on that period, Albon admits he was out of his depth at the time - and was too eager to please. "The attention for that seat, which had already been given to many drivers, was huge," he told the High Performance podcast.

"I struggled with that media attention. I had no manager and, apart from my trainer, I was on my own... I was far too much of a 'yes-man' at Red Bull. I was so eager to impress and please people that I said yes to everything, whether it was simulator work, PR obligations or whatever.

"I always put the team's interests first, which meant I was already all up when I got in the car. I'm kind of ruthless now in some ways. I've definitely changed my approach to putting myself first. The reason why I do it is simple - it's because I need to care about myself more than other people.

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"It's that selfishness and I realised there's a balance between being there for the team and being someone the team want to work for - because of how good they are - but also just outright. I'm the one driving that car, I need to be in the best position possible. So the way I go about doing it was purely my understanding of knowing what I need to be the best.

"It's honestly just that simple. What does it take and how do I get myself to be the best driver I can be, that's going to put me in the best position? I do that."

Albon found his way back onto the F1 grid with Williams in 2022. And his career has gone from strength to strength since, earning admiring glances from other teams up and down the paddock for the way he has led F1's sleeping giants on track, particularly last season.

Reports claim Williams have already resisted two approaches for their star driver in the past year. Albon's contract runs out at the end of this year but there is believed to be some form of extension clause included - though it is unclear whether or not the team can trigger it without the British-Thai racer's consent.

A Red Bull return is not likely as it stands, though Mirror Sport understands Albon is admired by Ferrari chiefs. It is also possible that the 27-year-old could be considered by Mercedes as a long-term replacement for Lewis Hamilton when he eventually decides to end his F1 career - though that will not happen until at least the end of the 2025 season.

Daniel Moxon