F1 News: Red Bull Advisor Hints At Desire To Sign Alex Albon - "Unfortunately Tied To Williams"
Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has spoken out on Alex Albon's current impressive performance at Williams, amid rumours of the Austrian team interested in bringing he British-Thai driver back.
The racing world is excited with Albon's strong performance, who has single-handedly secured all seven points for his team, Williams, in this year's World Championship. This feat has nudged Williams ahead of AlphaTauri to a commendable ninth spot in the Constructors' World Championship.
Against his teammate, Logan Sargeant, Albon is currently leading with a flawless 9-0 score in the internal qualifying duel. Praised by Christian Horner, his former boss at Red Bull, he has now received applause from another big Red Bull name, Helmut Marko.
Speaking about Albon's stellar show, Marko says:
"I think Alex is doing a great job [during the British GP qualifying].
"But if you put that into perspective, I assume that he drove at full power.
"That's a good three, three and a half tenths here. And maybe the amount of fuel wasn't as heavy as it was with us or Mercedes, for example.
"We call it 'board time' when someone comes from the top. The Williams is now a fast car, and in combination with Albon it is actually Q3-capable.
"[He] is unfortunately tied to Williams until the end of 2025."
Albon, who has been contractually bound with Williams till 2025, entered F1 with Toro Rosso in 2019 and later joined Red Bull. Although he could not outperform Verstappen there and was replaced by Sergio Perez in 2021, he joined the starting lineup with Williams the next year.
Marko's comment about Albon's long-term contract suggests a return to Red Bull might be unlikely. Yet, taking a page from Perez's career, who once replaced Albon at Red Bull and then had a shot at a top team, a return to a leading team for Albon cannot be ruled out. The positive feedback from influential names like Horner and Marko gives hope for Albon's bright future in the racing world.