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Alex Albon believes that the ‘extreme’ difference between the cars of Red Bull and Racing Bulls is a significant reason why Max Verstappen‘s teammates have struggled to match the four-time world champion for years. According to the Williams driver, the transition from a forgiving to an extremely sharp car is simply too great for many young drivers.
Since Daniel Ricciardo‘s departure in 2018, Red Bull has failed to find a second driver who can keep up with Verstappen. Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, Sergio Pérez, Liam Lawson, and now Yuki Tsunoda have all tried to compete with him, but each time the Dutchman proved unbeatable. Pérez lasted four seasons alongside Verstappen, but ultimately fell hopelessly behind in 2024. Interestingly, he was the only one who had not been promoted from the sister team in Faenza.
‘Only Verstappen can handle it’
Alex Albon, who made the switch from Toro Rosso to Red Bull midway through his rookie season in 2019, drove alongside Verstappen until 2020. He is now in his fourth season with Williams. During the race weekend in Canada, he reflected on his time at Red Bull. With regard to the struggling Yuki Tsunoda, he made an interesting observation about the second Red Bull seat.
“The Red Bull cars really push the limits,” Albon told the media in Montreal. “Verstappen can just handle it. I speak from experience when I say that I had a lot of trouble with it at the time. With the experience I have now, I dare to say that I could handle it better, but driving a Red Bull is anything but obvious for most drivers.”
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Extreme Differences
According to Albon, the biggest difference is not necessarily in the pure speed of the car, but in its character. “Racing Bulls’ cars are quite forgiving,” he explained. “They feel balanced, very stable – that inspires confidence. And that makes sense, as the team primarily trains young drivers. The Red Bull, on the other hand, is almost the opposite. You’re going from perhaps the easiest car on the grid to the most difficult.”
Albon believes this is the key. The lack of connection is not only because Verstappen is simply better, but also because the transition from Racing Bulls to Red Bull is so extreme that it’s virtually impossible to perform immediately without experience. Yuki Tsunoda has confirmed this time and again. “Driving is one thing, but the biggest part is understanding the car, the tires, the technology, and your own driving style,” concluded Albon. “As a young driver in Formula 1, you’re still figuring out what works – for both yourself and the car. Verstappen knows this perfectly by now. He knows what makes the car fast and how to handle it. For a young driver, that’s much more difficult – and you can see that in the results.”
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