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Why is Alex Albon out: Why Williams F1 star won’t race this weekend

Somin Bhattacharjee
Published

Why is Alex Albon out: Why Williams F1 star won't race this weekend

Alex Albon is out of the Italian GP this weekend and Mercedes reserve driver Nyck de Vries is set to replace him at Williams. 

Williams were dealt with a major blow just a day before the 2022 Italian GP. The British team announced that Albon won’t able to take part in the race, and Mercedes’ reserve driver de Vries will replace him for the rest of the weekend.

This came as a surprise for fans as Albon seemed fine yesterday. Williams, however, revealed that the 26-year-old was feeling unwell since today morning. He is being treated by the doctors for appendicitis and is not in a condition to drive an F1 car.

In a statement, they said, “Williams Racing can confirm that, after feeling unwell this morning and seeking medical advice from the FIA and local hospital, Alex Albon is now undergoing treatment for appendicitis.”

“Following on from this, we can confirm that the team’s Reserve Driver Nyck de Vries will drive in place of Alex for the remainder of the Italian Grand Prix weekend. Alex is in good spirits and the team wishes him a speedy recovery.”

Also read: 80 Dutch Max Verstappen fans caught building illegal grandstand in Monza ahead of Italian GP

Nick de Vries set to make his F1 debut replacing Alex Albon

De Vries has been waiting for an opportunity in F1 for a long time now. The 27-year-old won the 2019 F2 Championship and since then a lot of people have wanted to see him in F1.

However, due to lack of opportunities in the sport at the time, he moved away to Formula-E, where he showed everyone just how good he was. He drove for Mercedes in the series and won the 2020-21 Championship. In 42 starts, he was four wins and eight podium finishes to his name.

Albon’s appendicitis is unfortunate for the former Red Bull star. De Vries, however, will be hoping that he can capitalize on this opportunity. The 2023 drivers line up is set for a major shake up. If De Vries can impress in the Williams, it’s probable that some teams may keep an eye out for the Dutchman.

Albon is the only Williams driver to score points this season. The Thai-British driver is currently 19th in the standings with four points.

Also read: Max Verstappen takes $38,000 Honda for ultimate detour ahead of 2022 Hungarian GP

About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

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Formula 1 Editor Somin Bhattacharjee fell for the sport as well as Fernando Alonso on the same day — during the Spaniard’s thrilling victory at the German GP in 2010. Over the years, the passion magnified manyfold, and metamorphosed into a writing career in 2021. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. He has penned over 2,700 articles for TheSportsRush, presenting a diverse range — news reports, opinions, and exclusives. A true Tiffosi, Somin never gives up on a chance to defend the Ferrari boys as a fan. As a sports writer though, he remains objective to the core and relishes opportunities to follow and engage in dissecting the action during races. That’s where the real thrill lies for him. Beyond the racetrack, Somin plays different sports including soccer. He enjoys exploring other sporting events and proudly supports Spanish soccer club Real Madrid.

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