Albon open to moving back to Red Bull, but says Williams his sole focus for now

Alex Albon recently signed a new multi-year deal with Williams but won't rule out a future return to Red Bull.

Across the 2019 and 2020 F1 seasons, Albon raced for Red Bull in 26 races after coming through the junior ranks, but was dropped in favour of Sergio Perez to partner Max Verstappen.

The Thai driver spent 2021 as a Red Bull reserve driver, but Williams arranged a loan deal for Albon to race for them in 2022, which left the door open for a potential move back to his former team.

"I'd say Red Bull is the same as any other team. There is always an option on any driver at any given time," said Albon. "That's how it is.

"Obviously, I have a strong relationship with Red Bull from when I was 12-years-old, so I still get on very well with everyone there, but that is different now in that I am a Williams driver by myself."

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Focused on 2023

The 26-year-old is happy to have been retained by Williams for the 2023 season and thinks the deal benefits all parties concerned.

"I am a Williams driver," Albon said. "I think, especially if you are doing more long-term contracts, it doesn't make sense to be on loan.

"The future with Williams is beyond a year. It's looking into the partnership and really trying to get the team up the grid. "To do that, you really need to be ingrained in the team and fully focused towards that.

"That's not to say I wasn't this year. Of course, I was. But it's nice to be in a complete bubble where we are pushing together. It's not just something for a year but focusing on development after that."

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