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The big winner from Nissan's Formula E driver crisis

Alexander Albon's sudden pre-season departure from Nissan's inaugural Formula E campaign was a disruptive shock, but it's provided a shot at career redemption for another young driver

Losing a highly-rated driver is a major blow to any team. To have it happen on the eve of a crucial moment of a season is another. And for it to occur at the start of a major manufacturer's entry into a new motorsport sphere is almost unheard of.

Yet all of this happened to the Nissan e.dams ABB FIA Formula E squad on the first day of 2018/19 pre-season testing back in October. Alexander Albon, who had secured a three-year deal to race with the team in the electric championship, was suddenly being courted by Red Bull over a 2019 Toro Rosso Formula 1 seat.

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Author Alex Kalinauckas

Alex Kalinauckas is Autosport's Grand Prix Editor, covering every Formula 1 race since the start of 2020. After completing a master's degree in journalism at Goldsmiths College University of London in 2014, he worked for a range of motorsport and technology publications while covering national racing as an Autosport freelancer.

A lifelong motorsport fan - no one in his family can explain quite how or why such a development first occurred - Alex joined the Autosport staff in April 2017 as the magazine’s Assistant Editor covering Formula 2 and GP3, before being made Formula E correspondent and Autosport.com’s Plus Editor in March 2018. He lives in north-east London and is constantly frustrated by the Central Line.