THE UNDERDOG WHO HAS GOT HIS TEETH INTO HIS CHANCE TO PROGRESS TO THE VERY HIGHEST LEVEL
When the news broke that Alex Albon had secured a Toro Rosso Formula 1 seat, it was difficult not to be pleased for him. Britain loves an underdog, and this might just be the biggest underdog story this motorsport decade.
Albon was dropped from the Red Bull junior programme in 2012 and spent the next five seasons struggling to rebuild his reputation, but he never floundered or wavered in his ultimate goal of F1.
Decent Formula Renault and F3 seasons followed before taking the runner-up spot in GP3 in 2016 which should have catapulted him towards a GP2 (now Formula 2) title charge with the ART Grand Prix squad, but he was beaten by Charles Leclerc and his future was in serious doubt.
In stepped DAMS, providing a lifeline. He began the season on a race-by-race basis and ended it narrowly losing second place in the points, behind George Russell and Lando Norris.
All three made it to F1 in a dream year for British fans, Albon grabbing a late deal to return to Red Bull and its feeder team Toro Rosso after negotiating an exit from a deal with Nissan and its Formula E team.
Pierre Gasly has struggled to gel with the Red Bull and floundered in comparison to a team-mate Max Verstappen. In relation to rumours of Gasly’s future, Red Bull Motorsport advisor Helmut Marko said after the German Grand Prix last month: “This year we won’t change. We will end the season as we currently are.”
The tables have turned and Albon is the one to benefit. Many expected that if a change came it would be for Danill Kvyat – Albon’s Toro Rosso team-mate who is ninth in the points compared to Albon in 15th – but Red Bull has clearly seen something.
The pressure will be intense on the 23-year-old as he steps up to what is a racewinning package. It’s his first F1 season and he’s shown himself well.
Albon has shown he has the mental fortitude to bounce back, and it doesn’t get much more tricky than trying to stand out or even do an average job compared to a driver in Verstappen’s form. But Albon has the tools to do it.
Whether he can do enough to keep the seat remains to be seen. But what can be celebrated is that a driver who has brought little or no cash to his racing programme in the past few years has made motorsport’s biggest step.