Lewis Hamilton Doled Out “Character Building Bumps” to Fellow Grid Mate Despite Derailed F1 Career

Alex Albon has recently opened up on his tough F1 days when he collided with Lewis Hamilton. The Williams drivers, who now claimed to have moved ahead of the unfortunate incidents, said Hamilton has given him “character-building bumps.”

Albon arrived in Red Bull back in 2019 after replacing Pierre Gasly mid-season. With huge expectations on his back, the Thia driver was matched against the agile Max Verstappen.

However, his career didn’t pan out as per expectations. With no podium in 2019, Albon picked up two in 2020. But the most memorable, or rather disheartening, incident was when he collided with the Brit twice.

The two collisions with Hamilton cost him his first podium and therefore hampered his confidence. And it is believed he lost the plot from there on and subsequently the Red Bull seat to Sergio Perez in 2021.

However, the Thai driver now believes he has had a career development from there on and now holds no grudges against the seven-time world champion, despite two monumental career-changing incidents.

Albon on clash with Hamilton and current scenario

During a recent question-and-answer session with GQ Sports on Youtube, Albon answered multiple questions about him from social media. On one such question, a fan named Trinity Lester focused on how the former Red Bull star overcame the rough phase.

Answering this, Albon, who holds Hamilton in greater regard than Verstappen, replied, “Those bumps with Hamilton! Minor, minor bumps along the way.”

“Character building bumps. When I read comments a lot about, you know, Lewis and myself or the crashes we had, I honestly don’t get really get it,” he further asserted.

“Crashes happen all the time and that wasn’t the reason for our tough time in 2020. But I do feel like I’ve become a stronger person since then. Character building and I feel like I’m a stronger driver for it,” the 26-year-old admitted.

Clash with Hamilton and the British driver’s apology

Throwback to the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix and the 2020 Austrian Grand Prix when the seven-time world champion clashed with the Red Bull newbie, jeopardizing the latter’s career somewhat.

The two clashes were identical, with the second one being brutal as it snatched the first-ever chance for the Thai-British driver’s podium finish. As Albon tried to go around the outside, Hamilton nicked him on the way.

The Mercedes star’s left front tire clipped with the right rear of the former Red Bull man, sending him spinning to the gravel trap, similarly. However, Lewis Hamilton apologized to Alex Albon later on for his actions.