The speculations surrounding Carlos Sainz’s future continue to grow as there are rumors about Williams’ Alex Albon replacing him at Ferrari. Albon has been performing extremely well as of late, which has caught the attention of several top teams on the grid. Unsurprisingly, it seems like the 27-year-old is enjoying this attention.
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur is the latest individual to laud the former Red Bull driver for his recent results with Williams. The Frenchman stated that while he is happy with Ferrari’s current driver pairing, he can’t ignore how well Albon is performing at the moment.
Marshals to the rescue for a beached Carlos Sainz 👍#HungarianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/VdWfxxMjRS
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 21, 2023
Considering that Vasseur is appreciative of Albon, there is a chance that the prancing horses may consider signing the Thai driver if Sainz chooses to leave. This comes because of Sainz’s future being uncertain. as he still hasn’t extended his Ferrari contract. Hence, there is a huge chance that he may leave if he receives a good offer from a rival team.
Alex Albon feels it is “good” to see the attention he is receiving
In a recent interview ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix, Alex Albon revealed how he has no complaints as he continues to receive more and more attention. When asked if the links with Ferrari motivate him, the 27-year-old replied (as quoted by formulapassion.it), “I would say yes“.
He then added how it is always good for drivers to hear positive things about themselves even if they are just rumors. Albon believes that since the praises he is receiving only underlies how well he has performed this year, he is “not complaining” being under the spotlight.
It is fair to say that Albon currently finds himself in a far better situation as compared to a few years ago when Red Bull sacked him. The Milton Keynes-based outfit relegated the Thai driver to the role of a reserve driver following the conclusion of the 2020 season after he underperformed massively in comparison to Max Verstappen.
From that point on, Albon’s comeback has been nothing short of stunning. He has been driving one of the slowest cars on the grid. Despite that, he has scored 11 points this season and is currently placed 13th in the championship.
What is most impressive about his results is the way he has outperformed his teammate, Logan Sargeant. The rookie is yet to register his first points in F1. As Albon continues to perform, Red Bull is rumored to be keeping tabs on him once again.
Horner admits he is tracking Albon closely
Following the conclusion of the Canadian Grand Prix in which Alex Albon finished a fantastic seventh, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner explained how he was mightily impressed with the Williams driver. The 49-year-old admitted in his post-race interview that he was watching as much of his team’s race as he was watching Albon defend P7.
It also seems that he has also impressed Williams greatly. After Albon finished P7 in Montreal, Williams team principal James Vowles said that he called the 27-year-old to inform him that he “drove like a champion“.
Considering how much attention the former Red Bull driver is receiving, it seems that it is only a matter of time before a big team considers signing him. This big team could turn out to be Ferrari. Especially if Carlos Sainz doesn’t extend his stay in Maranello.
