The Thai Williams driver explains why, from his point of view, several young drivers have struggled—or are struggling—once they begin racing behind the wheel of a Red Bull.
The second Red Bull seat has now become something of a taboo. That seat has seen both rookie and experienced drivers come and go. But the result has almost always been the same: difficulties so severe that they’re left far behind Max Verstappen.
Pierre Gasly, Liam Lawson, Sergio Perez, Yuki Tsunoda, and Alexander Albon are just some of the notable names who have had the chance to race alongside Max Verstappen in a Red Bull. But all of them—except the Mexican in his first season—have faced difficulties that made them appear unsuited for the role and seat they occupied.
Alexander Albon, now a full-time driver at a rapidly improving Williams, attempted to offer his own explanation and provide a reason for this situation that, year after year and driver after driver, seems to become more complicated.
“I think the cars Red Bull builds are all on a knife edge. I think Max can drive them and I can speak from experience: I struggled.”
“It’s also difficult because, maybe this is just my take, the Racing Bulls car is a forgiving one. It’s well balanced, very stable, and gives a lot of confidence.”
“I believe it’s become that type of car because there are always rookies in that seat, so the foundation of the team is built around young drivers.”
“But then there’s Red Bull, which is almost at the opposite extreme. You go from one of the most forgiving cars to one of the most difficult. So you have to adapt to two very different cars.”
There are other aspects to consider. Since 2022, rookie drivers have had to deal with ground-effect cars that are quite stiff, making the transition from understeer to oversteer in corners, while also having fewer testing days available—except through TPC (Testing Previous Cars) sessions.
Yuki Tsunoda, for instance, will take part in his 100th F1 race this weekend. He has several years of experience, but after trying the RB21 in the simulator, he had to face the reality: the Milton Keynes car is much harder to understand and control than his initial impressions suggested.
The Japanese driver might have enough time to adapt, having taken over from the unlucky Liam Lawson. But everything will also depend on how much time Red Bull is willing to give him.
Alex Albon, who now has much more F1 experience, concluded by saying: “I think I have the right experience to work around the issues of the Red Bull. But that’s not something most drivers have as a natural skill.”
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