After some stellar performances with Williams last season, Alex Albon is a driver who is on the radar of some of the top teams such as Red Bull and Mercedes. However, F1 expert Joe Saward notes that it is the former team that is likely to line up an “attractive offer” for the 28-year-old in 2026.
In his Green Notebook, Saward notes, “One might suggest that George’s mate Alex Albon might be a good choice for Mercedes, but he is believed to have an attractive offer to go to Red Bull Racing in 2026, which could be a very good idea”. The 62-year-old then adds that Red Bull could be an attractive option for a driver like Albon as the idea that the team “will implode seems to have gone away now”.
Saward notes that since there is “an apparent return to peace” in the Red Bull camp, the team once again seems like an attractive option for one of the drivers to join them in the future. If that driver does turn out to be Albon, it could be an important move for him as it is the Red Bull family where he began his F1 career.
Why could Red Bull be keen on signing Alex Albon?
Alex Albon had a memorable 2023 season as he finished 13th in the championship with Williams and scored 27 out of the 28 points for the team. The Thai driver’s contribution was remarkable as many consider Williams a backmarker.
However, Albon seems to have struggled to carry on his form from last season to this year. Although he has finished eleventh in two of the three races so far, he did crash his car during the Australian Grand Prix last weekend.
After it was impossible for Williams to repair his car, the team offered Logan Sargeant’s car to Albon. While the 28-year-old did drive a decent race in Melbourne, he yet failed to score any points.
However, since Albon did drive for Red Bull previously, the Milton Keynes-based outfit may be keen on signing him again after his recent resurgence. However, the question is who can Albon replace at Red Bull.
Who is Alex Albon likely to replace at Red Bull?
As things stand, there are doubts about the future of both Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen. Although F1 expert Peter Windsor has claimed that the Mexican has signed a contract extension with Red Bull for 2025, his future still remains in doubt because of how significantly he underperformed Verstappen last year.
As for Verstappen, concerns have emerged about his future because of reports of the “Marko clause” in his contract. As per this clause, Verstappen can leave the team if Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko exits the side.
There is indeed a possibility that the Austrian could leave Red Bull because of the reported power struggle between himself and team principal Christian Horner. Hence, since the future of both Perez and Verstappen remains unclear, Red Bull may just be lining up Alex Albon as a potential replacement.
