Red Bull's Albon reports for duty, ready to roll

©RedBull

Alex Albon clocked in at Red Bull Racing this morning, ready to kick off a new chapter of his young career with the Milton Keynes-based outfit.

After just 12 Grands Prix, the 23-year-old has transferred from Faenza to Milton Keynes following an intra-team swap with Pierre Gasly between Red Bull and Toro Rosso.

Kvyat respects Red Bull decision to promote Albon

Twelve months ago at Spa, Toro Rosso boss Franz Tost was queried on the chances of Albon - a front-runner in F2 back then with DAMS - getting on to Helmut Marko's short list of potential drivers for 2019.

The Austrian dismissed that prospect outright. A year on, the young charger could realistically be on the verge of winning his first F1 Grand Prix. What a turnaround for Alex!

After donning his new overalls, a broad smiling Albon underwent a seat fitting and some media duties before hunkering down with his engineers for a series of preliminary Belgian Grand Prix briefing sessions that will likely last until his departure for Spa on Wednesday.

The British-Thai racer also posted on social media a short video from the Red Bull factory floor. Check it out.

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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.