Can Alexander Albon survive at Red Bull?

[S griffin]

Was really impressed with Albon’s overtakes, round the outside especially. You can’t do that without plenty of talent.

Qualifying seems to be his main weak point, but plenty of F1 drivers have been like that. Jacques Laffite was like that. Albon certainly enlivened the race. He’s also making few mistakes. If I were a team boss, I would consider him before Vettel

[Taxi645]

Every teammate of Verstappen has to cope with a car set up to his liking and, because of a high strung high rake concept, with an unstable balance and aero at the beginning of each season (at least mainly in qualy). I think almost every driver would struggle (even good ones like Gasly and Albon, as has become apparent).

The aero rules changes hasn't helped getting the high rake concept to be stable and a lot of work is required to finesse the aero flow to work in a wide enough range of conditions. Hence the car getting better during the season, because it too hard/too much work to get it done during the winter.

Perhaps from 2022 onwards, Verstappen's teammates will have an easier time.

[Knowlesy]

He still gives it a good go despite the struggles. Which is the way to do it.

Gasly seemed to wilt, that is the difference.

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by Knowlesy

He still gives it a good go despite the struggles. Which is the way to do it.

Gasly seemed to wilt, that is the difference.

Yep pretty much how I see it. Gasly looked totally lost and never once got near Max.

I reckon the best way forward for RB and Albon is to take the heat off him for qualy and just get the race set up right?

The race is where he is perhaps as strong as any of the other top drivers and it used to be a good ploy for Lauda, Prost etc.

Alex has got the racecraft to make the most of what the car is capable of over 70 odd laps. He keeps proving that.

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by chunterer

Yep pretty much how I see it. Gasly looked totally lost and never once got near Max.

I reckon the best way forward for RB and Albon is to take the heat off him for qualy and just get the race set up right?

The race is where he is perhaps as strong as any of the other top drivers and it used to be a good ploy for Lauda, Prost etc.

Alex has got the racecraft to make the most of what the car is capable of over 70 odd laps. He keeps proving that.

Gasly struggled in qualifying then in the races made some progress then got 'stuck'. Alex looks to have the racecraft to keep going forwards (and if the obvious overtake isn't on then he'll just drive around the outside of you at Copse ). From the teams public face they do seem to still be supporting Alex at the moment (certainly more than they were with gasly).

Realistically given how the team is set up to get Max the best result possible then realistically is there anyone out there (who might be available) that would would be capable of getting better results? Red Bull are still suffering from being blindsided by Ricciardo leaving.

[chillibowl]

he is young so maybe consistency will be something he finds with time and of course one's car must be working for them in order to be aggressive, but it is frustrating to see just how aggressive he can be some weekend and how he can disappear on others.

personally, i rate him well behind Norris. not yet sure where he matches up with Russell these days but it seems many rank Russell right there with Norris.

medium to long term i dont think either Albon or Gasly are suitable replacements for Max if/when Max moves on.

[Adam43]

True, although there aren’t many that are replacements for Max.

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

he is young so maybe consistency will be something he finds with time and of course one's car must be working for them in order to be aggressive, but it is frustrating to see just how aggressive he can be some weekend and how he can disappear on others.

personally, i rate him well behind Norris. not yet sure where he matches up with Russell these days but it seems many rank Russell right there with Norris.

medium to long term i dont think either Albon or Gasly are suitable replacements for Max if/when Max moves on.

On racecraft alone, ergo, advancing using skills and bravery in a race duration, he has already proved his worth.

I don't recall many, if any races where he had gone missing?

If anything the further down he qualifies, the more tenacious he becomes.

[chillibowl]

Originally Posted by chunterer

I don't recall many, if any races where he had gone missing?

perhaps disappear was way to strong a word.

Originally Posted by Adam43

True, although there aren’t many that are replacements for Max.

i suppose by comparing him to Max i am applying an unfair standard.

but surely this is also the measuring stick RB have to use?

[Born Racer]

Gasly reminds me a bit of Frentzen. Didnt perform when he got his big chance, but delivers with the pressure off. Perhaps that's unfair, as the Red Bull gig was much earlier in his career than Frentzen's Williams opportunity.

I would love to see Albon have a good qualifying session, because the race could be something to behold.

It appears no potential Red Bull driver would get near Verstappen. Wins and bants.

[greentrumpet]

Perhaps Heinz-Harald felt pressure seeing how the team treated previous heroes. Hero today, gone tomorrow?

[S griffin]

Even Frank Williams and Patrick Head admitted mind management was not their strong point. That was the problem with HHF, he was someone needed to be in a team where he felt loved. That's why he did so well in that Jordan in 99

[RWill2073]

Originally Posted by Richard Casto

That idea was stupid then and doubly stupid now. I will point out the obvious that you just dont seem to get months into this. Why do you keep beating that drum?

1. You are asking someone to get infected for your entertainment.
2. Even if it doesn't kill them, they may have long lasting health issues. (I know someone in this category. They have lingering breathing issues. Believe me, they wish they hadn't been infected)



Richard

1) false argument. I'm not asking anyone to get infected for my entertainment. I'm pointing out that herd immunity may be only way out of the whole thing.

2) to an overwhelmingly high percentage, those that end up with long term effects or worse, were due to other underlying issues. Anecdotes aren't good for statistical things. Everything done has been said to be done "based on the data", (lol at that), not based on anecdotes. We won't know long term effects of rushed vaccines, either. The death rate, even with those anecdotal cases, is like 0.25%. Among healthy, younger people (especially if you exclude elderly in care centers, or those put to death by putting covid positive patients in those elderly care centers) it's not a very dangerous virus.

[S griffin]

Can we get back on topic please?

[Aysedasi]

Yes please. As I recall, this thread was supposed to be about Albon....

[S griffin]

It’s funny, I’m just about old enough to remember his Dad racing a Renault 19 in the BTCC

[midgetman]

I never knew that. I vaguely remember the name, off j go to Wikipedia

Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk

[S griffin]

Seems that Red Bull strategy really left him no chance to improve his position

[steve nielsen]

Originally Posted by S griffin

Seems that Red Bull strategy really left him no chance to improve his position

That's an easy excuse

But Max lapped him, that 1 minute 20 is not just in the strategy, he could not overtake Vettel, a car his teammate lapped

[Aysedasi]

Sadly, Albon was pretty poor today....

[chunterer]

But it can't be argued that getting him to take his 1st stop when they did and put him on the tyres that should have been the last choice put him way out of sinc.
They forced him out into traffic on less than ideal rubber which was always going to be hard to overcome.
The lad seemed at a complete loss for answers after the race.

[ASCII Man]

Albon did his best with the "strategy" he was getting from Red Bull.

[steve nielsen]

Originally Posted by chunterer

But it can't be argued that getting him to take his 1st stop when they did and put him on the tyres that should have been the last choice put him way out of sinc.
They forced him out into traffic on less than ideal rubber which was always going to be hard to overcome.
The lad seemed at a complete loss for answers after the race.

Trafic?

Like Max said "I can overtake them easy"

Albon was in the same car that finished 2nd and lapped the whole midfield

[E.B]

Originally Posted by steve nielsen

Trafic?

Like Max said "I can overtake them easy"

Albon was in the same car that finished 2nd and lapped the whole midfield

Lapping might be easier when you are on reasonable tyre strategies. (ie not the hard rubber Albon was put on after he was stopped earlier than needed (so they could check how his softs were ). Albon seems to be the Red Bull strategy mule to help the team with Max's strategy decision. I guess that is what #2 drivers are there for.

[steve nielsen]

Originally Posted by E.B

Lapping might be easier when you are on reasonable tyre strategies. (ie not the hard rubber Albon was put on after he was stopped earlier than needed (so they could check how his softs were ). Albon seems to be the Red Bull strategy mule to help the team with Max's strategy decision. I guess that is what #2 drivers are there for.

I'm not talking about the lapping itself, I'm talking about the speed difference between the Red Bull and the midfield

Albon was also 7 tenths slower in qualifying on the same tire and where Max drove away from the Racing Point cars, Albon was losing time on hem in the first stint

even if Albon had exactly the same strategy it would have been bad