Alex Albon, a driver for Williams, knows all too well what it’s like to be in Yuki Tsunoda‘s position at Red Bull. Albon himself lasted a season and a half with the Austrian team, where he also had to compete against Max Verstappen. Now, having seen Tsunoda struggle in recent Grand Prix races, Albon wants to offer him some encouragement.
Tsunoda was promoted from sister team Racing Bulls to Red Bull in April, but has since been grappling with the complex RB21. Like his predecessors, from Pierre Gasly to Alex Albon and from Sergio Pérez to Liam Lawson, he finds himself in the shadow of Max Verstappen. Albon, who took over Gasly’s seat midway through 2019, knows how challenging it is to succeed at Red Bull. His time with the team ended in 2020, but the lessons he learned are now being passed on to Tsunoda.
‘Verstappen may well be the best ever’
“I empathize with him, because I can clearly see what’s happening,” Albon said in a BBC podcast. “When I was at Red Bull, I had only raced in Formula 1 for six months,” he recalled. “Only afterwards did I realize the difficult situation I was in. I had a car I didn’t feel comfortable with, and I lacked the experience to get myself out of that situation. Of course, I found it difficult, but I also simply lacked the level and maturity to deal with it. I see that again now, and I understand those feelings,” Albon said, referring to Tsunoda.
The British-Thai driver explained that he maintains close contact with the Japanese racer and tries to assist him wherever possible. “I talk to Tsunoda a lot and try to help him in every way I can,” Alexander Albon continued. “We have a great relationship and I really like Yuki. But it’s tough,” he admitted. The biggest hurdle for Tsunoda, of course, remains Max Verstappen, who Albon believes possesses exceptional qualities. “He (Verstappen) might just be the best driver ever in Formula 1,” said the Williams driver. “I know that’s quite a bold statement, but I truly mean it. He drives a car that he’s not really comfortable with, and I think he manages to hide many problems. As a result, he can always drive the car well.”
