Alex Albon: “It will be difficult for anyone to be Max Verstappen’s teammate”. ‘Warning’ to Liam Lawson from Alex Albon.

Challenges always won

Since Max Verstappen joined Red Bull at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix, winning on his debut and setting the record as the youngest driver ever to take the top spot on the podium at just 18 years old, all of his teammates from then on have struggled to keep up with the Dutchman. From Daniel Ricciardo to Sergio Perez, including Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon, who had the opportunity to describe the biggest difficulties he faced sharing a top team garage like Red Bull’s with Verstappen.

‘Warning’ to Liam Lawson

This topic has resurfaced following Sergio Perez’s exit and the official announcement of Liam Lawson, who will have the tough task of joining the four-time world champion next season, driving a car that didn’t always convince during the last championship: “I think, first of all, you have to appreciate Max’s talent,” explained the Anglo-Thai driver from Williams to the media, who achieved two 3rd-place finishes with Red Bull between the second half of 2019 and 2020. “Additionally, it’s not always so comfortable driving that car. I’ve said it a couple of times now: I think he likes the car in a very different way. It’s not easy for other drivers to adapt. Then, it’s just the price you pay. You are constantly in the spotlight, and it’s a difficult situation. I think for anyone, it won’t be an easy situation to be his teammate.”

Sergio Perez’s collapse

Alex Albon also shared his view on what he thought was the key factor of this season, whether it was the Red Bull setup, Max Verstappen’s driving style, or both: “I’d say both contributed,” he responded. “I think when you look at Perez at the start of the year, the car was a bit more stable for him. He was doing a good job, qualifying in the top five, in the top three, getting back on the podium and so on. He just disappeared when the updates arrived, and Max felt more comfortable with the car. Maybe not fully comfortable, but while he managed it, Checo struggled a bit more. I think Max likes the car in a certain way, and the team is able to give it to him. I don’t know if that makes things harder for the teammate.”