Albon rolls out the red carpet for Thai PM in Monaco

©Instagram

Alex Albon gave Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra a personal tour of his FW47 in the Williams garage on Friday in Monaco – a symbolic moment as Thailand eyes a spot on the F1 calendar.

“Great to welcome PM @ingshin21 to my office this weekend! A bit noisier than my visit to the Thai Government House earlier this year. Thank you for making the time!” Albon shared on Instagram.

The Anglo-Thai driver has enthusiastically backed the idea of a home race: “It would mean the world to me... I’d love to see Thai people more involved in the motorsport world and I’d like to try to help this happen in any way that I can.”

Amid Albon’s public support for an F1 race in his home country, Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali is also open to the prospect, having travelled to Bangkok last March to hold talks with Shinawatra and representatives of the Sports Authority of Thailand.

Watch this space…

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.