Palmer: "Albon's performance are just as bad as Gasly's"

Alexander Albon is still trusted by Red Bull Racing, but how long can they hold out after Sergio Perez's victory in Sakhir? Jolyon Palmer wonders why Albon is being kept on for so long.

Why is Albon being given so much time?

Albon has struggled to keep up with the front runners this season and has often found himself further down the grid than what he would like. Palmer has questioned Red Bull's decision to keep going with him.

''The team seems desperate to find a way to keep Albon even longer. Normally Red Bull don't give their drivers that much time. Albon's performance are just as bad as Gasly's, but Red Bull is still waiting in the hope that he'll show something of a signal that he's good enough to keep for Red Bull," said Palmer in his column for the BBC.

Red Bull can't ignore Perez anymore

''is a nice guy who works hard, but this has never made management so soft. He also races under the Thai flag, for a team that has its origins in Thailand. Maybe Red Bull is still trying to prove that the choice to hire him in the first place was the right one, but that moment has long since passed."

According to Palmer, Red Bull can't ignore Sergio Perez anymore. ''Red Bull needs someone who stands there when others fail and Perez is already doing so many races. He drove past Albon in Sakhir to victory, while Albon doesn't get any further than P6. If Red Bull wants to be taken seriously as a title contender in 2021, they need to take out the rider who hasn't performed for a long time. Even the management of Red Bull can no longer ignore the winner of the last race as a better option for the future."