“It’s a Brutal Business”: Alex Albon Gets Emotional Over Red Bull Meeting That Changed the Course of His F1 Career

From battling appendicitis to fending off other drivers on the grid, Alex Albon is a true fighter. He hasn’t had it easy in Formula 1 but he isn’t the one to give up. From a meteoric rise to one of F1’s premier teams to an equally disappointing end of that stint, Albon has fought his way back to the grid and earned his place in Williams Racing.

Alex Albon had a Hollywood entry in F1. He was signed for AlphaTauri by Helmut Marko and 6 months later, he was racing alongside Max Verstappen. However, after a steady second half of his first season, his performances dipped, and Red Bull axed the Briton.

Albon returned to F1 and replaced Mercedes-bound George Russell in Williams this year. He has since impressed in his tenure, after entering the fray again. However, it was not as easy as it sounds as the former Red Bull driver would tell you.

In an interview with BBC, Albon stated, “It’s a brutal business – and how quickly everything came about. It was a true fast track from Toro Rosso into one of the very top teams in the sport and then out. And it was like: ‘Wow, OK.’ It did hit me hard, as it would anyone. I remember the meeting, I remember everything as clear as day.”

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He further mentioned how his family and friends played a big role in helping him come back to F1. They wasted little time working with Alex and prepared him to return to the grid. Albon said, “Very, very quickly almost within a day – there was no other thought other than: ‘I’m going to get back on the grid.’ I only saw a Plan A.”

Alex Albon is “fired up” to be back racing in F1

Alex Albon’s feisty return to F1 hasn’t gone unnoticed. Ever since he joined the grid, he has been performing at a high level. The Williams driver explains how he has a burning fire to prove everyone wrong. Furthermore, he also talks about how some people confuse him to be “too nice” or a “happy-go-lucky” kid with no fire to succeed in F1.

However, Alex dismissed such rumors and believes people only have that opinion because they don’t listen to him enough. Albon said, “You definitely need a fiery side if you want to be in F1.”

He further added, “As a driver, you almost need to be a fighter. When you have a helmet on, you’re fighting other drivers. And I am fired up.” Albon also reveals how he is not a very good person when he has his racing helmet on. He said, “Speak to the engineers here and they’ll tell you that.”

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It might not have been easy to deal with back then, but Red Bull’s decision to sack Albon definitely worked in his favor. He is now beginning to show glimpses of why he used to compete with Max, Charles Leclerc, and Russell in his karting days. Do you think a competitive constructor will sign Albon in the future?