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“He Was Like a Super Shy Kid”: George Russell Is Highly Impressed by Alex Albon’s Transformation

Vidit Dhawan
Published

ALBON Alexander (tha), Williams Racing FW46, portrait, RUSSELL George (gbr), Mercedes AMG F1 Team W15, portrait, during the Formula 1 MSC Cruises Japanese Grand Prix 2024

Similarly to Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, George Russell and Alex Albon have also known each other for several years, having raced each other in the junior categories. But unlike Hamilton and Rosberg, who were best friends and turned into bitter enemies, Russell and Albon continue to share a strong friendship.

Russell, having known Albon for 15 years, heaped praise on the Thai driver for having a remarkable transformation, stating “he (Albon) was like a super shy kid” and today he is someone who is not afraid to showcase his true self.

The 26-year-old is so impressed by Albon that he went as far as saying that the current Williams driver may even start his own podcast someday.

Appearing in an interview with SPORTbible last year, Russell placed Albon as the second most likely driver to start his own podcast, only after the highly charismatic Daniel Ricciardo. Being compared to Ricciardo itself is a huge compliment for Albon as the Australian was by far the most extrovert driver on last year’s grid.

And Albon already seems to have some experience with podcasts, having started one with former Williams teammate Logan Sargeant and then Franco Colapinto last year. The Williams driver lineup often appeared in several YouTube videos for their ‘Team Torque’ podcast and discussed anything and everything like music, golf, Argentine slang, and even cats.

Albon’s love for pets

These discussions on cats and other pets are quite natural as Albon has 37 pets per Russell! While this is obviously not true, Russell deliberately exaggerated to explain the love Albon had for pets.

While it remains to be seen whether or not Albon starts a podcast on pets, fans interested in his pets can keep tabs on them by going through his Instagram handle — ‘Albon Pets‘ — a page he refers to as the ‘Albon Zoo’.

On this page, fans can have a look at all the adorable pets of the Albon family. Besides some cute kittens and puppies, Albon has also featured Hamilton’s pet bulldog, Roscoe. It was at last year’s British GP in Silverstone where the Thai driver had a merch swap with Roscoe.

Post Edited By:Aishwary Gaonkar

About the author

Vidit Dhawan

Vidit Dhawan

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Vidit Dhawan, a Formula 1 Editor at The SportsRush, is intrinsically connected with everything around the sport — from the engine roar, the cacophony on the grandstands to the action. He fell in love with F1 during the inaugural Indian GP in 2011. After more than a decade of deep engagement with the sport, Vidit insists he will remain a lifelong fan of Fernando Alonso, and sees the future of F1 in Charles Leclerc. A sports fanatic from childhood, he discovered his passion for writing while pursuing a bachelor's degree in international and global studies. Vidit has written over 1,700 articles, ranging from news reports to opinions. He thrives covering live action, and loves to dig into the contrasting personalities in the F1 bandwagon and narrate their journey in life as well as the sport. Vidit also follows tennis and football, enjoys playing as well as coaching chess.

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