Between 2019 and 2021, Alex Albon partnered with Max Verstappen at Red Bull. While driving for the Milton Keynes outfit, the Thai driver faced immense criticism for his failure to keep up with the Dutchman. Two years after leaving the team, Albon has revealed the negative aspect of being a Red Bull driver alongside the three-time world champion.
Helmut Marko on Alex Albon in Qatar: “He was actually pretty good at Red Bull until he got spun out twice, once on his way to a win, which tugged on his nerves.”
“Why not get him back into Red Bull?”
“It gets brought up a lot, but sadly Albon signed a long term contract and… pic.twitter.com/ND5fENy46f
— leo (@formuleo_) October 16, 2023
While appearing as a guest in a podcast on the YouTube channel High Performance, Albon admitted to always being under the spotlight. The 27-year-old then explained how he would face immense criticism if he failed to keep up with Verstappen’s pace. Albon then added that the pressure got so intense that he decided to step away from all social media platforms.
“I got away from the social media side of things. I think Formula One, in itself, is a whole different topic about the new generation and the new fan base that comes with it. It is very different, but it was quite toxic truthfully,” explained Albon.
Explaining the toxicity further, Albon laid down the example of the various memes that start floating around on social media after even one bad performance. Furthermore, the questions of media personnel where they start comparing the driver with those who are performing better adds to the toll it takes on the mental health of drivers.
As a result, Albon revealed that he needed to step away from Red Bull. With Albon no longer the primary driver for Red Bull, it was Sergio Perez’s turn to face the music.
Sergio Perez stepped in to relieve Alex Albon of his duties
Many believed that Alex Albon’s replacement, Sergio Perez, will be able to handle the pressure of stepping alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull because of the experience the Mexican has had in the sport. However, everyone soon realized that it was an incredibly difficult task to step up alongside the Dutchman no matter the experience of the driver.
Despite the struggles Perez faced mentally at Red Bull, he refused to give up. The 33-year-old revealed he opted to work with a mental health coach for the sake of himself and his family.
According to Perez, a challenging environment started affecting him so much that his personal life became a victim of it. Hence, the need for a mental health coach was higher than ever.
Red Bull F1 driver Sergio Perez has opened up about his mental health struggles in the sport saying “Formula 1 is my sport, my life, my passion. If you are having such a hard time at work, it is difficult to be cheerful at home with your wife and children.” (1/3) #F1 #ChecoPerez pic.twitter.com/3U5vGubSQ7
— Nothing Post (@TheNothingPost) September 26, 2023
Former world champion Nico Rosberg even advised Perez to step away from all social media as there were “so many memes going against him.” He added that Perez needed to separate himself from the fictional aspect of social media, as it would greatly hamper his mental health and lead to the further downfall of the Mexican in one of the most challenging phases of his career.
