As part of a daily series in the run-up to the start of pre-season, Motorsport Week brings you brief left-field reflections and stories of teams, drivers and reserve/test drivers that will be part of the Formula 1 paddock in 2019.
Alexander Albon’s graduation to Toro Rosso completes an unlikely cycle of a driver once axed by Red Bull replacing a driver axed by Red Bull to partner a driver axed by Red Bull. Such is life.
Albon’s first spell in Red Bull colours came in 2012, before junior schemes were so widespread, and among his stablemates were 2019 team-mate Daniil Kvyat and one of his Toro Rosso predecessors, Carlos Sainz Jr.
But Albon’s 2012 season was disappointing. Kvyat impressed in Formula Renault 2.0 (both the Eurocup and Alps series) but Albon was left only scrapping for points and at the end of the campaign he was dropped from the scheme.
His career was kick-started after a promising third year in 2.0 in 2014 and after a 2015 season spent treading water in Formula 3 he emerged as a GP3 title contender in 2016, missing out to Charles Leclerc. His rookie 2017 campaign in Formula 2 with ART Grand Prix was blighted by a mid-season collarbone injury but come 2018 he was a title challenger once again, having switched to DAMS, and Red Bull came calling for a second time…
