Helmut Marko, motorsport advisor for Red Bull Formula 1 team, says the team is ready to let go of Alex Albon. The team is open to possibility of sparing Albon as a replacement driver, if needed by any F1 team next year.
The Austrian team has decided to deprive Thai driver from an active driver. He will remain with the team as a reserve driver and serve in an intense development role.
Due to corona virus possibility of drivers missing races is more likely to happen in 2021. During this year season three drivers Sergio Perez, Lance Stroll and Lewis Hamilton missed races after getting infected with the virus.
This could provide Albon an opportunity to run a race in 2021. This will be possible only if other teams are willing to give him a chance.
Marko elaborated on their arrangements with Albon and said: “We assured him that we will use him massively in testing. After all, there are the 2022 tyres to test, and there are separate tests for that.
Read More: Turkish GP victory stood out for Hamilton
“He will do a lot of simulator driving and he will also be at many races as a reserve driver. After all, that involves four cars for us.
“The chances of him being used are there. In addition, we are prepared to lend him out if a situation arises at another team that they need a driver at short notice. Then he will get race kilometres. So it’s not the end.”
Red Bull preferred Perez over Albon for next year. The Mexican driver caught eyes after great performance in the second half of the season.
Marko reflects on Red Bull’s decision
Marko shared the reason for not electing Albon. He says that inconsistency in performance was the major element in dethroning Albon.
“[It was] a lack of consistency and he got rattled too easily when, for example, the wind gained intensity or came from a different direction,” explained Marko. “Or when the tyres started to degrade, then he lost time disproportionately.”
Marko thinks that it was not easy for him to drive against Max Verstappen.
“It’s certainly a mental story as well,” added Marko. “But when you have a team-mate who is permanently driving at the absolute top level, no matter what the car is like, it plays a minor role, I think.
“Of course, getting to the mental thing, all the reports and the unsatisfactory results have unsettled him. His gap to Verstappen actually increased over the course of the season, not decreased. It was marginal, but it increased.”
