09 February 2024 , 11:48
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Red Bull want to secure a first-option deal with Alex Albon amid speculation he could join rivals Mercedes.
Albon raced for Red Bull in an 18-month spell between 2019-20. But he was axed at the end of that season in favour of Sergio Perez and spent 2021 off the grid, his Formula 1 future in serious doubt.
Red Bull helped him to get back onto the grid with Williams. And, during an encouraging first season, he signed a multi-year deal with F1's sleeping giants which officially brought to an end his affiliation with the energy drinks giants.
But it seems the F1 champions want to renew that partnership. Autosport reports Red Bull want to get Albon to agree to a deal which would give them first option on him when his Williams contract expires.
By single-handedly dragging Williams to a seventh-placed finish in last year's constructors' championship, Albon signalled to the rest of the grid that he is ready to be racing closer to the front. It is understood that more than one team has already made a serious play for his signature.
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Reports emerged last week claiming Red Bull have already put a three-year deal on the table for their old driver. However, sources indicate that is not the case and that, although the champions are certainly keen on the idea of bringing Albon back into the fold, a formalised offer has not yet been made.
But the report of a first-option agreement being on the table is a sign of Red Bull's nervousness about possibly losing the British-Thai racer to a direct rival. Specifically, Albon is likely to be a strong candidate for the Mercedes seat which will be vacated by Lewis Hamilton when he moves to Ferrari at the end of this year.
Albon insists he is committed to Williams for now, but admits he will soon have a big decision to make over his future. He said: "When you take everything apart all that really matters is your performance - that's all that's going to attract or not attract teams.
"I love working at this team, I love seeing what we're doing, the progress. I want to see how big of a jump we make this year. There is a certain expectation that I have with the car to see how it does but time will tell. Despite Lando [Norris] and Charles [Leclerc] signing up very early this year, there's still a lot of time to make a decision."
Also, though Red Bull want to keep their options as open as possible, there is not guarantee yet that they will replace Perez at the end of this year. The Mexican may yet be able to convince the champions that he is the right man to partner Max Verstappen if he can find more consistent form.