Red Bull has sent the driver market into a frenzy with the return of Daniel Ricciardo to AlphaTauri and the departure of Nyck de Vries. It is understood that this move is part of a much bigger plan to find a replacement for the struggling Sergio Perez. Amidst all of this, it has been reported that Alex Albon has straightaway denied a move back to the Red Bull structure.
Albon has had a brilliant season so far, managing to drag his Williams into respectable positions on a consistent basis. The Williams driver has managed to reach Q3 four times this season, with Sergio Perez also having 4 Q3 appearances in the dominant RB19.
The Perez vs. Albon qualifying h2h this year is currently 5-5. That’s all I have to say. pic.twitter.com/OYCf5YoDQ2
— leo🐋 (@albonscar) July 8, 2023
Albon’s recent upsurge in form has unsurprisingly caught a few eyes at the top of the Red Bull hierarchy. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner had even mentioned that he took the time out to watch Albon’s race during the Canadian GP, where Albon managed to finish P7.
Alex Albon refuses a Red Bull return
With Albon putting in consistent performances week in and week out, FIA-accredited journalist Yhacbec Lopez has claimed that Red Bull wanted Albon to return to their system. However, Albon is determined to stay at Williams, and he simply refuses Red Bull by saying, “No, Thank You.”
Se van conociendo cosas muy interesantes y que nos permiten ir conociendo todo lo que está sucediendo en @redbullracing . Se ha conocido que @alex_albon recibió la propuesta de regresar a la estructura de RB y contestó…”No, gracias”. Nunca antes había sucedido…#HungarianGP pic.twitter.com/CFnVCn7YBM
— Yhacbec López 🐦 ™ (@Yhacbec) July 13, 2023
With many drivers fighting for the invaluable Red Bull seat, it is highly surprising that a racer would refuse the Milton-Keynes outfit on their face when given an opportunity to get into the Red Bull structure. Lopez believes that the decision taken by Albon is quite an admirable one and just goes on to show how much the Thai-Brit driver has grown in self-confidence.
It is understandable why Albon would rather want to commit himself to Williams than go back to Red Bull or AlphaTauri. Williams has provided Albon with a stable platform where he can perform without the fear that he will be replaced as soon as he fails to come up with good results.
WHAT A DRIVE! @alex_albon crosses the line P8 at our home Grand Prix! 😍👏#WeAreWilliams #BritishGP pic.twitter.com/nNuPsnamp0
— Williams Racing (@WilliamsRacing) July 9, 2023
With the way Williams’ car is developing, it is definitely much faster and more competitive than the AlphaTauri, where Red Bull would most likely put Albon. Therefore, Albon seems to have made the correct decision by refusing to move back to Red Bull.
Red Bull regretting missing out on Albon?
Following Albon’s brilliant performance at the British GP Qualifying, where he put his car into Q3 for the third time in a row, Red Bull’s chief advisor Helmut Marko was all praises for him. Marko appreciated Albon’s performance and said, “[He] is unfortunately tied to Williams until the end of 2025.”
“[Unfortunately, he] is bound to Williams by the end of 2025” – Helmut Marko on Albon’s fantastic performance
You discarded him without a second thought like some used goods nearly ruining Alex’s career in the process. Now he starts seeing the light as regrets creep up 🙄 #F1 pic.twitter.com/8BlycGMSv2
— Simon Dau (@there_is_no_if) July 8, 2023
The comment has led to speculations that Marko wants Albon to return to the Red Bull system. However, it is the same team that had decided to drop Albon without giving him time to settle into the car and have a fair chance against his teammate. Therefore, all in all, Albon seems to have made the right choice by sticking to his team.
