F1 | Alex Albon warns Yuki Tsunoda of old Red Bull challenge. Alex Albon shares his experience at Red Bull.

Albon warns Tsunoda of the challenges of racing alongside Verstappen at Red Bull

Red Bull is once again in the spotlight after former driver Alex Albon issued a warning to Yuki Tsunoda about the hidden challenges of competing alongside Max Verstappen. The former Thai driver, now racing for Williams, recounted how Tsunoda’s current path mirrors his own experience years ago, when he was promoted to race alongside Verstappen and found himself in a situation that was perhaps bigger than he was ready for.

Verstappen, the impossible benchmark

Alex Albon shared his thoughts during the BBC’s Chequered Flag podcast, explaining that he empathizes strongly with Tsunoda. He reflected on his early days at Red Bull, noting that with only six months of Formula 1 experience, he was unprepared to extract peak performance from a car he didn’t fully feel comfortable in. Albon admitted that it took hindsight to fully understand the difficulty of his situation, and he sees similar challenges in Tsunoda, with whom he frequently communicates and offers guidance.

According to Alex Albon, the central challenge for any Red Bull teammate remains the same: Max Verstappen. From Pierre Gasly to Sergio Perez, and even Alex Albon himself, every second driver at Red Bull has struggled to match Verstappen, who has the unique ability to drive even an unbalanced car while masking its weaknesses. “On the other side of the garage, you probably have the best driver who has ever raced in Formula 1,” Albon said. “Verstappen can adapt to any car and hide its problems. That makes everything far more difficult for the teammate.”

Tsunoda’s uphill battle at Red Bull

For Yuki Tsunoda, promoted to Red Bull after his stint with the Racing Bulls and replacing Liam Lawson just two races into 2025, the challenge is even more intense. He must prove to the team that he deserves a permanent seat, all while young talents such as Isack Hadjar push for their chance in Formula 1. In this context, Albon remains a trusted voice and experienced mentor, ready to warn Tsunoda of the risks associated with a role that has tested the careers of more than one driver in the past.