Not Hulkenberg but Russell to Red Bull? 'He'd better deal with that'

Alexander Albon is under enormous pressure at Red Bull Racing and already seems to be able to pack his bags. According to Christijan Albers, George Russell is the best man for the job, despite Nico Hulkenberg being the favourite.

Albon has been under pressure at Red Bull Racing for a year and a half. As a replacement for Pierre Gasly, the Thai hasn't produced the results expected, so Red Bull is looking for a new driver. According to Albers it is no longer about the upcoming races, but the decision was made long ago.

''Even if he still performs very well in the next two or three races, Red Bull is not going to take that risk anymore. They won't go back now. With Albon you can tell by his character. No aggressiveness and compared to Verstappen that's just a completely different world, even though they come from the same period," says Albers on the De Telegraaf podcast.

The former Formula 1 driver doesn't agree that Nico Hulkenberg should come to Red Bull. ''Throughout his career he has shown that he is a talent, but not a supertalent. He was also beaten by Daniel Ricciardo at Renault. I can understand Max wanting him as a teammate. Max is not afraid of other drivers, but if you know that Ricciardo has beaten him, it gives you confidence," says Albers, who would like to see another driver join him.

''Purely on speed, however, I would choose George Russell. He is also a young man you can rely on, because he is still very young, just like Max. If Max is constantly faster, then I think Russell can handle that better than Hulkenberg," concludes Albers.