Albon admits turn of events in F1 has been 'crazy'

From his promotion to Aston Martin Red Bull Racing last summer to having his seat confirmed for 2020, Alex Albon admits it's been a "crazy" whirlwind couple of months.

A year ago, as he was set to conclude his campaign in F2, Albon was contemplating a season in Formula E, with at least the benefit of racing for a manufacturer - Nissan - and receiving a paycheck at the end of the month.

But a call from Red Bull motorsport boss Helmut Marko turned his life, not upside down, but rather the right way up!

Albon's performances in the first half of the season with Toro Rosso, coupled with Pierre Gasly's disappointing results at Red Bull incited Marko to swap the two drivers before the Belgian Grand Prix.

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Since Spa, the British-Thai racer has consistently finished among the top six, even outscoring teammate Max Verstappen, an impressive track record that has led to a full-time drive with Red Bull for 2020.

"It’s crazy, really. I say it a lot, but I truly mean it when I say it," Albon said ahead of this weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix.

"To get the call-up originally after Hungary, it was quite a daunting prospect. But I felt like I could do something.

"The races that I’ve had, I’ve been pretty happy with. And yes, of course, to get that final call to tell me that I’m staying for next year, it feels really good."

Before his confirmation, Albon wasn't obsessed about his future, admitting he had been keeping his head down, focused on the immediate job at hand.

"I didn’t know when the decision was going to be made," he explained.

"For me it was just thinking about the races, making sure I was happy with how I was progressing. I think that was the important thing, just trying to show that I am making steps forward.

“In terms of when I was going to get called, of course I knew it was going to happen, but it wasn’t a stress when, it was just ‘focus on the job in hand’.

"To be honest the way I have been thinking about things is trying to be in the present and not thinking about all the external stuff.

"It even carries on to now. I’ll just carry on doing what I’m doing for the rest of the season and onto next year because knowing or not knowing wouldn’t have changed the situation.

"It’s still the results that count and that was my focus."

In relative terms, Albon has acquitted himself remarkably well against the blindingly fast Verstappen, a fact noted by the Dutchman himself who gave the thumbs up to Red Bull's decision to keep his current teammate on-board for 2020.

"He’s a nice guy and I think for him the last 12 months have been a bit of a roller-coaster," Verstappen said.

"Of course he’s very laid-back, very relaxed. And people like him in the team. He’s easygoing, which I think helps. And he’s quick, he’s doing his job, he’s getting the points.

"So I think it was the smartest way of continuing."

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