Albon holds out hope for 2022 seat, but: "There isn’t much"

Alexander Albon has been sidelined by Red Bull Racing after a disappointing 2020 season. The Thai driver is now doing a lot of behind-the-scenes work but hopes to return to the F1 grid soon.

There are not many chances for Albon to return to the grid as early as 2022. "There isn’t much," he says in conversation with F1.com. "In some respects, I’m reliant on others not performing. It’s just the driver market in F1." Albon looks back realistically on his own debut in the sport that almost never happened. When Daniel Ricciardo left Red Bull, a spot suddenly became available at Toro Rosso (now AlphaTauri) as Pierre Gasly moved on to the main team. That spot at Toro Rosso was then for Albon.

Albon says he is happy with the support he is receiving from team boss Christian Horner and advisor Helmut Marko and he expects they will support him when there is a chance of Albon getting a seat. "For now, my main focus is F1, to see if there’s so space. And then we’ll see."

The most serious options for Albon are at Williams and Alfa Romeo. Both teams have yet to commit drivers for 2022 and the experience plus sponsorship money from Thailand could well help Albon in the market. Still, Albon does have his eye on other championships such as Formula E and IndyCar. "You have to assess the landscape, and make sure you cover all the options, so it is difficult. Let’s see what happens."