Explained | Albon and Red Bull's complex situation

While all may seem comfortable in the Red Bull stables, with all four of their drivers to remain at their teams for 2022, the not too distant future may hold something rather uncomfortable for them. Here’s how their current situation is playing out.

Red Bull’s lineup

Red Bull currently has only one half of their garage performing at its peak. Max Verstappen has come to pull off faultless performances in 2021, winning in dominant fashion on circuits like Austria and The Netherlands. Sergio Perez, however, has lacked any form of consistency. He has performed well, securing his second career win in Azerbaijan and strong finishes at France & Monaco, yet has struggled somewhat due to his one lap pace.

However, Red Bull saw Perez as a safe pair of hands. He is hardworking and has stated on numerous occasions that he has what it takes to perform in the Milton Keynes outfit. He has shown this in his resilience and race pace, pushing to achieve more and looking inward to find answers on how to perform. This has resulted in him gaining a contract extension till 2022, maintaining stability in the pairing into the new regulations.

AlphaTauri’s lineup

Pierre Gasly is pulling fantastic performances this year, securing a podium at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and making it into Q3 in all but two race weekends. However, his teammate Yuki Tsunoda has not been so fortunate. Stunning everyone on his maiden outing at the Bahrain Grand Prix, he pulled of a string of incredible overtakes to take ninth place. Yet his performances for the rest of the season haven’t been so great, failing to make it into Q2 on seven out of 13 qualifying attempts.

For Gasly, a contract extension was simple. He is performing incredibly and has little reason to be removed from his seat. In Tsunoda’s case, it would seem clear why some would have not expected his renewal at the team. Red Bull’s management has not been so kind to mercurial performances in the past, yet they opted to stay their hand, providing trust to the young driver who has made an incredible ascension through these years.

Outside contenders

At the moment, Ex-Red Bull Driver Alex Albon is generating the most heat from the silly season, closely linked to potential drives at Williams and Alfa Romeo for the 2022 season. His young age, experience at a race winning team, two podiums and strong race pace has made him a highly sought after option to help rebuild and push the backmarker teams up the grid. However, they’re facing blocks in the form of Toto Wolff, who has expressed concerns of having a Red Bull managed driver utilising a Mercedes engine. New Zealander Liam Lawson has also attracted the attention of many in the paddock, setting up a sterling effort for the DTM title with 3 victories to his name and some strong performances in Formula 2 as well.

For the future

The Red Bull Junior Program has one of the more unique approaches when it comes to raising talent. They choose to overbook their options and pare them down once the driver’s form begins to taper off. This can lead to uncomfortable scenarios, where they are proved wrong by dropping particular drivers (such as Callum Illot who is now a strong contender in the Ferrari Driver Academy), or they end up having second thoughts about their decisions (e.g. Gasly’s demotion from Red Bull). Some may look at the Renault/Alpine young driver program as an even worse example of a driver academy, where none of their talent has been able to step into the ranks of F1 and will not do so for some time, with Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon on guaranteed long term contracts. Alpine remains as a polar opposite to the Red Bull program. However, that’s not to say that they themselves have no flaws either.

There is an excess of Red Bull drivers who once were, or still are competing in the single seater leagues. Every season, they encounter a struggle at finding the right candidates to enter the teams to either further develop their skills, or push the flagship team forward. Red Bull are yet to find the right balance for their teams and if the “conveyor-belt” mentality continues, of having drivers come in and drop out with not enough time, they may not find that balance for much longer.

As for the drivers which Red Bull currently has...well, it’s a unique story for each. One is approaching the twilight stages of his career while alongside a young driver who is touted as a future world champion. In the other camp, a driver who would desperately want to leave due to a lack of career progression within the teams and a rookie who has shown incredible form in his junior career, but it still struggling to find his feet. Throw one more into the mix, with the reserve unable to find a seat at either team and trying to pursue a third route which may inevitably be blocked.

Unique issues, caused by unique approaches.