Albon: No need to panic after one difficult F1 race
Red Bull's Alex Albon says there's no need "to panic" after a difficult start to 2020 - and he's confident he can improve with more time in the car


Albon had a strong race in the delayed 2020 Formula 1 opener, the Austrian Grand Prix, where he was confident of fighting for victory in the closing stages until his collision with Lewis Hamilton.
But he struggled to match team-mate Max Verstappen in the opening stint in the Styrian Grand Prix having been hampered by a blister. After changing tyres he set a good pace on his way to fourth place.
Red Bull boss Christian Horner has been quick to defend Albon, conceding that the Milton Keynes team has to be patient, as he is still gathering experience.
"Firstly, we've only done two races," Albon said when asked about being under pressure to keep his job at the Red Bull squad for 2021.
"It's very, very, very early. And the approach of being under a team, it's still the same. I mean, F1 is F1, every driver is under pressure to perform.
"And so of course, I know I've got to do a good job. But it's been like that since I've been eight years old, so nothing really changes."
Asked where he was losing out to his team-mate he said: "It was kind of a poor start to the race in race two, and that was more or less the main issue, so I don't think there needs to be a panic.
"It's just managing the tyres a bit better, and knowing when to push and when not to push. So that's it at the moment. I think once I get a bit more comfortable in the car the pace will come as well."

Albon conceded that he suffered in the Styrian event from a lack of dry running with the latest parts.
"It is more balance than anything else, because we had the whole Saturday, wet so we didn't really have much track time," he said. "We bought some upgrades that definitely worked on the car but it took more time than I would have liked to get up to speed with it and that is about it really.
"I felt a bit more comfortable in the first weekend than the second, but still the car is improving each time we go out, so I think coming here we have a better understanding of the car.
"Being predictable is what we are aiming for. So, the car is feeling good, but it needs to be up there, and we need to be consistent with it."
Asked where Red Bull is losing out to Mercedes he said: "It's a bit of everything, there's not one specific thing. Looking at Red Bull Ring as well, the track itself is quite simple.
"I think in the low speed we were looking quite competitive. And there were a couple of corners in the high speed where Mercedes were quicker, as well as having a bit of an advantage down the straights so it's areas that we know as drivers as well that we could, we can feel it. But saying that it's still not going to be easy to catch them.
"We've done two races at the same circuit. So it's, it's quite hard to judge where we're at in terms of performance. And we'll have to wait to see come after FP1."

Sainz: Too early to judge how strong Ferrari will be in F1 2021
Why Ferrari is aiming to find F1 team boss Binotto more support

Latest news
Porsche boss “as surprised as anyone” over Gulf-Williams F1 social media frenzy
Porsche’s head of motorsport Thomas Laudenbach found it “funny” that streamlining its Instagram channels caused a Formula 1 social media speculation frenzy last month.
Why Albon won't be "throwing around laptops" to gain a 2023 F1 edge
OPINION: At the Williams 2023 Formula 1 season launch, Alex Albon’s easy-going nature was again a point of focus. But does being “too nice” really matter in modern F1? Albon’s own expressions put that in an intriguing new light
Why Alfa Romeo has kept its blade roll hoop on 2023 F1 car
The Alfa Romeo Formula 1 team has retained its unique blade roll hoop for the C43 but designed it to withstand load tests that the FIA will introduce in 2024.
Daly to attempt 2023 Daytona 500 with The Money Team
IndyCar driver Conor Daly has announced plans to enter the 2023 Daytona 500 with The Money Team, making his superspeedway debut in NASCAR Cup.
Why Albon won't be "throwing around laptops" to gain a 2023 F1 edge
OPINION: At the Williams 2023 Formula 1 season launch, Alex Albon’s easy-going nature was again a point of focus. But does being “too nice” really matter in modern F1? Albon’s own expressions put that in an intriguing new light
How the last Sauber-built Alfa offers F1 2023 evolution clues
Alfa Romeo has become the first Formula 1 team to reveal a new car for 2023, in addition to a fresh livery. This offered a first look at some of the understated changes produced by the revised regulations, along with points of convergence in the second year of the ground effect rules
The pioneering F1 car that preceded Lotus’s terminal decline
In the hands of Ayrton Senna the actively suspended 99T would be the last F1 race-winning Lotus but, as STUART CODLING reveals, it was a complicated machine that caused more problems than it solved
How Tyrrell became a racing Rubik’s cube as it faded out of F1
Formula 1’s transformation into a global sport meant the gradual extinction for a small team determined to stay true to its low-budget roots. But Tyrrell would eventually be reborn as a world-beating outfit again, explains MAURICE HAMILTON, albeit in different colours…
Assessing Hamilton's remarkable decade as a Mercedes F1 driver
Many doubted Lewis Hamilton’s move from McLaren to Mercedes for the 2013 Formula 1 season. But the journey he’s been on since has taken the Briton to new heights - and to a further six world championship titles
Why new look Haas is a litmus test for Formula 1’s new era
OPINION: With teams outside the top three having struggled in Formula 1 in recent seasons, the rules changes introduced in 2022 should have more of an impact this season. How well Haas does, as the poster child for the kind of team that F1 wanted to be able to challenge at the front, is crucial
The Mercedes F1 pressure changes under 10 years of Toto Wolff
OPINION: Although the central building blocks for Mercedes’ recent, long-lasting Formula 1 success were installed before he joined the team, Toto Wolff has been instrumental in ensuring it maximised its finally-realised potential after years of underachievement. The 10-year anniversary of Wolff joining Mercedes marks the perfect time to assess his work
The all-French F1 partnership that Ocon and Gasly hope to emulate
Alpine’s signing of Pierre Gasly alongside Esteban Ocon revives memories of a famous all-French line-up, albeit in the red of Ferrari, for BEN EDWARDS. Can the former AlphaTauri man's arrival help the French team on its path back to winning ways in a tribute act to the Prancing Horse's title-winning 1983?
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.