Alex Albon breaks down the difficulty of challenging Max Verstappen at Red Bull F1 ahead of Sergio Pérez’s final Grand Prix for the team.
Speaking ahead of the final Grand Prix of 2024, Williams’ Alex Albon discusses the pressure of driving for Red Bull. Having partnered Max Verstappen from the F1 2019 Belgian Grand Prix, through to the final Grand Prix of 2020 at Abu Dhabi, Albon shared his experience.
Since Daniel Ricciardo left the Milton Keynes-based squad at the end of the 2018 season, all three drivers — Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon and Sergio Pérez — that have gone up against Verstappen ended up struggling to get near the Dutchman on a consistent basis.
Although Pérez helped Red Bull win the Constructors’ Championships in 2022 and 2023, and finished 2nd in the Drivers’ Championship last year, the Mexican was blown away by the four-time World Champion as well. He was 290 points behind his teammate in 2023. This year, it was 285, finishing P8 in the standings.
Liam Lawson has the mammoth task of taking on Verstappen in the RB21 in 2025.
The factors that make it difficult to go up against Verstappen
When asked why driving alongside Verstappen seems to be such a difficult feat, Albon broke down several factors. The Williams’ man explained that Verstappen’s sheer talent, coupled with a difficult to drive car make the role very challenging. He also noted the pressure associated with driving for the team towards the top of the field.
“I think first of all, you have to appreciate the talent that Max has,” Albon said of his former teammate. “That’s number one. Number two is, it’s not always that comfortable to drive that car. I don’t know where it is now, for Checo. I haven’t been following along too much.
“I’ve said it a few times now. I think he likes the car quite different. It’s not easy for other drivers to adapt to it.
“Then it’s just the toll of it. You’re in the spotlight constantly, and it’s a tough place to be. I think for anyone, it’s not going to be an easy place to be, to be his team-mate.”
Car updates tailored to maximise the performance for Verstappen
When asked if the key factor is Red Bull’s set-up or Verstappen’s driving style, Albon admitted that both play a role. This is evident when comparing the Mexican’s first 5 races of the season to his final 5. Reflecting on the 2024 season, he called attention to Verstappen’s performance in comparison to Pérez as the season progressed.
Albon noted that the gap between both Red Bull drivers’ seemed to widen as the team introduced upgrades. The Williams’ man suggested that making the RB20 more suited to Verstappen disadvantaged Pérez throughout 2024.
“I’d say it goes in both ways,” Albon replied when asked of the contributing factors. “I think that when you look at Checo [Pérez] at the beginning of the year, I think the car felt a little bit more stable for him.
“He was actually able, relative to the top teams, he was doing a good job. He could qualify in the top five, top three, and get back podium finishes and whatnot.
“It just went away from him as the upgrades came on, and Max felt more comfortable with the car. Maybe not comfortable, but as he could deal with it, Checo struggled a bit more.
“A bit of both, really. I think Max likes the car in a certain way. The team are able to give it to him. I don’t know if that just makes it harder for the teammate.”