Red Bull Racing has announced that Alex Albon will replace Pierre Gasly from the upcoming Belgian Grand Prix at Spa till the end of the season.
It’s a good move for Red Bull Racing and for Albon.
The young Thai has performed very well in his rookie season.
He shows calm and determination, he is a fast learner and is honest and smart when he analyses his races.
He is also a very positive and joyful character, clearly enjoying his time at the pinnacle of the sport.
He also, and that is very important, most of the times matches his more experienced team-mates’ pace.
Daniil Kvyat is a very capable driver. Doing so is a great thing to achieve in your debut season.
Moving from Toro Rosso to Red Bull Racing at this stage of the season is a great opportunity for Alex Albon.
The only thing he’s got to do is continue the progress he has shown all year, unlock the potential seen, and do better than Gasly has done.
If he does so, he will get the Red Bull Racing drive alongside Max Verstappen for 2020.
If he doesn’t, he will be sent back to Toro Rosso for one more year of learning.
Dr. Marko will give him time to develop, no doubt.
So for him, there is no risk of being left in the cold in 2020, he can relax, do the best he can, it’s a win-win situation.
For Helmut Marko, there is also nothing to lose.
He knows the qualities of Daniil Kvyat, he doesn’t need to test him again. He gives Pierre Gasly a lifeline at Toro Rosso till the end of the season in the hope the Frenchman will rebound.
So, in his mind, the time has come to assess the progress of Alex Albon in a top team.
By the end of the year, he will know if he has found another gem in the Thai-British driver, or if he should look for someone outside the Red Bull family to partner Verstappen in 2020.
