Williams Formula 1 driver Alex Albon has discussed Yuki Tsunoda’s current position at Red Bull, revealing that he is in regular contact with the Japanese driver.
Albon made his F1 debut with Toro Rosso (now known as Racing Bulls) in 2019 alongside Daniil Kvyat. After the Hungarian Grand Prix of the same year, Red Bull confirmed that Albon would replace Pierre Gasly mid-season at the Milton Keynes outfit. The team stated at the time that it would use the remainder of the 2019 season to assess Albon’s performance to determine who would drive alongside Max Verstappen in 2020.
The Thai-British driver retained his seat at Red Bull for 2020 but was demoted to the role of test and reserve driver for 2021, when he was replaced by Sergio Perez.
Tsunoda has found himself in a similar situation to that of Albon. The Japanese driver replaced rookie Liam Lawson at Red Bull after just two races of the 2025 season, and he is now fighting for a 2026 contract. Rumours suggest that Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar is set to land the coveted seat next to Verstappen in 2026 and that Lawson and Tsunoda are competing for a Racing Bulls seat beside Red Bull junior driver Arvid Lindblad.
“I empathise with it,” Albon explained on the BBC’s Chequered Flag podcast, when asked about the difficulties that come with being Verstappen’s team-mate. “I see it quite clearly.
“I think it’s split in many ways. The time that I was at Red Bull, I joined six months into my Formula 1 career, and I just realised, in hindsight, I was in a predicament when I joined the team at Red Bull, because I had a car that I wasn’t comfortable with, and I didn’t know, I didn’t have the experience to get myself out of it.
Alex Albon, Williams
Photo by: Rudy Carezzevoli / Getty Images
“I struggled with it, but my experience level wasn’t to the point, and my maturity as a human being, to understand how to get myself out of that situation. I see it now, and I understand the same feelings. I speak with Yuki a lot, and try to help him in any way I can.”
He added: “We have a great relationship and I really love Yuki. But it’s hard. I think you’ve got, on the other side of the garage, arguably the best driver that’s driven a Formula 1 car.
“I mean, that’s the big statement, I know, but, I do really mean that. He can drive a car that’s not comfortable to drive, and I think he can hide a lot of problems, and he’s the one that can clearly drive it.”
