Red Bull and the serious mistake made for 2025 F1: a missed opportunity with Alex Albon. Red Bull and the mistake made ahead of the 2025 Formula 1 season.

One of the most recurring topics in 2024 is undoubtedly the question of who will partner world champion Max Verstappen in the 2025 F1 season. With Liam Lawson officially announced, Sky Sport F1 UK pundit Ted Kravitz spoke about what he sees as a grave mistake by Red Bull in letting Alexander Albon slip away.

As many of you may recall, the Thai driver’s story has been, and still is to some extent, closely tied to the Milton Keynes team. His career in the top tier of motorsport began in 2019 when he was signed by Toro Rosso, Red Bull’s junior team, now known as Racing Bulls.

After a somewhat challenging start, partly due to the performance of the Faenza car, Alex Albon’s big opportunity came in the summer. On August 12, it was announced that he would be moving to Red Bull, replacing Pierre Gasly. He completed the 2019 season and continued with the main team through 2020 until he was replaced by Sergio Perez.

For this reason, in 2021, Albon took on the role of third driver, making his debut with the RB16B during Pirelli testing. As we know, from 2022 onwards, he has been racing with Williams. According to some paddock insiders, his contract with the Grove-based team includes an exit clause that would allow him to leave if Red Bull showed interest in signing him.

Based on this, Ted Kravitz, following Liam Lawson’s official announcement, commented on what he believes to be a significant mistake by Horner and Marko: “Red Bull missed the opportunity to bring Alexander Albon back.”

“Williams could have fielded Franco Colapinto and Carlos Sainz. It would have been perfect. At that point, Alex Albon would have been a solid benchmark against Verstappen. He has much more experience; he knows how to manage Max and the unique dynamics that arise at Red Bull. I don’t understand why they didn’t consider him.”

The driver himself was quick to respond. Referring to his relationship with Williams, Alex Albon stated: “This is a long-term project that I truly believe in. I want to play a key role, which is why I signed a multi-year contract with them.”