Albon: We couldn’t have done much better than sixth

58 comments on “Albon: We couldn’t have done much better than sixth”

1. 

   Tom
   7th December 2020, 0:12

   Albon is probably right. In the second best car 6th is probably the best he can do. It shows just how bad he is when 6th was all he could manage after both Mercedes have issues and Verstappen and Leclerc both DNF. So that’s basically P10. In a Red Bull… I hope RedBull hire Perez for next season. He’s had podiums on merit in a slower car.
   1. 

      Applebook
      7th December 2020, 0:17

      Albon is the nicest guy on the grid, and I like his racing spirit. However, Perez has more than earned that RB seat for next year. It is better for Albon to drive next season alongside Gasly. This is the best scenario for RB, Perez, and Albon.
      1. 

         NickF1 (@nickpkr251)
         7th December 2020, 7:02

         I like Albon but this is about driving the wheels off the car and bring home the goods, way more than is expected everytime, I think he has summit his performance, but hey he had a red-bull drive for a while and some money !

         farewell and spend wisely
      2. 

         Jere (@jerejj)
         7th December 2020, 8:05

         @Applebook Alpha Tauri isn’t an option as Tsunoda is set to get the second drive there, so Red Bull Racing or nothing for Albon concerning racing in F1 next season.
      3. 

         Retired (@jeff1s)
         7th December 2020, 9:08

         Albon’s a nice guy, but today and on pace and merit it could realistically be: Red Bull; Verstappen, Perez. Alpha Tauri; Gasly, Tsunoda.
         To me, Albon out the equation.
   2. 

      slowmo (@slowmo)
      7th December 2020, 0:29

      100% agree, that was probably the best he could do with one of the fastest cars on the grid while the only 3 faster cars retired. If he is still driving for Red Bull next year then Horner needs to go.
      1. 

         spoutnik (@spoutnik)
         7th December 2020, 11:40

         @slowmo though it’s obviously not Horner’s decision. Same goes for Szafnauer or Steiner, they don’t really have the choice.
   3. 

      AllTheCoolNamesWereTaken
      7th December 2020, 0:43

      Come on now, go easy on Albon. The five guys in front of him were all driving F1.5 machinery, so technically he was the highest-classified F1 driver tonight.

      (Sorry, couldn’t resist.)
      1. 

         bernasaurus (@bernasaurus)
         7th December 2020, 1:11

         I think he’s just gone really, and it sounds like he knows it himself. Shame, I don’t think you’re expected to beat Max in that seat, but like said, he was essentially 10th in a car that many thought Max had a chance of winning in. I can’t imagine how he felt when he found out Checo had won.
         1. 

            Esploratore (@esploratore)
            7th December 2020, 4:12

            I’m so afraid albon is staying at red bull, that’s like the worst that could happen to f1.
            1. 

               Esploratore (@esploratore)
               7th December 2020, 4:13

               Well, next to vettel taking perez’s seat, if perez replaces albon though, stroll sr. is forgiven.
            2. 

               NickF1 (@nickpkr251)
               7th December 2020, 7:05

               why ? one reason why ? his daddy own red-bull ?
   4. 

      Carlos Medrano (@carlosmedrano)
      7th December 2020, 6:34

      Albon isn’t driving the second fastest car max is
      1. 

         Oconomo
         7th December 2020, 7:47

         @carlosmedrano
         You mean: Max makes the 4th fastest car looks like the third fastest car.

         Clueless and frustrated clown on the internet: Max blablabla.
         Most succesfull teamboss ever: “How can I put it? He is driving better than what his car is actually capable of.

         How does being such a sad l0$er feel?
      2. 

         John H (@john-h)
         7th December 2020, 8:48

         Wouldn’t it be a lot easier for Red Bull (not to mention Marko) if Albon started to deliver solid results? To insuate there is a car difference in that context is a bit far fetched don’t you think @carlosmedrano ?
   5. 

      OOliver
      7th December 2020, 6:36

      I think he benefited from the safety car, as I think 2 other drivers were ahead of him and had just pit before the safety car came out.
   6. 

      BasCB (@bascb)
      7th December 2020, 7:40

      I don’t really think Albon is right at all though. Sure, he was behind Perez for a decent amount of laps, but that was only after Perez had passed a ton of cars to get from the back of the grid to mid grid and had rather easily passed Albon. Before leaving Albon behind and languishing quite far behind until the Mercs dropping away helped Albon get to p6.
2. 

   carbon_fibre (@carbon_fibre)
   7th December 2020, 0:15

   I’m happy for Ocon too. I knew he can do better than what his results show this season. He was very impressive in Force India. He should be more competitive next season unless Alonso swallows him.
   1. 

      NickF1 (@nickpkr251)
      7th December 2020, 7:06

      oohh ALO will ….. and spit up or down
3. 

   DaveW (@dmw)
   7th December 2020, 1:37

   How did Albon restart in 11th after being right behind Perez? Did he stop for tires? If so that was super foolish given how that car can’t power out of a DRS train.
   1. 

      Bulgarian (@bulgarian)
      7th December 2020, 2:22

      After Lap 53: 1.Russel 2.Bottas 3.Sainz 4.Kvyat 5.Ricciardo 6.Ocon 7.Stroll 8.Perez 9.Albon;
      Lap 54-56: Kvyat, Sainz, Ricciardo have a pit stop;
      Lap 57-58: Perez passes Stroll and Ocon;
      Lap 59: Perez is 3rd!;
      Lap 63: Albon have a pit stop.
      1. 

         NickF1 (@nickpkr251)
         7th December 2020, 7:07

         didn’t make the overcut work
4. 

   JohnH (@johnrkh)
   7th December 2020, 1:58

   I don’t know who will take the seat at RB next yr, Perez doesn’t seem all that confidant and Albon seems unable to step up. Is the Hulk still in the picture?
   RIP John Harvey
   1. 

      John Martin (@sprintcarfan)
      7th December 2020, 2:56

      I have a hard time believing they would pick the Hulk over Perez, even before today. Maybe Perez doesn’t seem confident because RB are genuinely waiting until the last round to make a decision.
      1. 

         Qeki (@qeki)
         7th December 2020, 16:08

         I think they don’t want to drop Albon completely. Still Albon isn’t good enough for that second RB and it would make sense to sign Perez. Then they will face a problem between Albon and Tsunoda for the second AT seat. Albon has shown that he can drive that car well enough to earn a seat. Still Tsunoda is pushed by Honda and has shown that he deserves a chance in F1.

         Or Marko and co. could do the same as Monisha Kaltenborn a few years back and come to a race with 5 drivers..
   2. 

      NickF1 (@nickpkr251)
      7th December 2020, 7:09

      Well guess what Merc may fancy Perez after all !
      1. 

         Rick
         7th December 2020, 13:50

         Hamilton and Perez at Mercedes will be like Senna Prost in the McLaren MP 4/4.
         1. 

            Blazzz (@blazzz)
            7th December 2020, 16:33

            So by your estimation Perez is better than Rosberg?
5. 

   John Martin (@sprintcarfan)
   7th December 2020, 2:36

   Maybe I missed something, but why is Deletraz having a swipe at Haas? Both Schumacher and Marzipan (admittedly not by much) have better results, never mind who’s dad has the better name or more money.
   1. 

      ykiki
      7th December 2020, 5:34

      I think the swipe is Fittipaldi in the Haas seat to end the session. (Mind you, I don’t know Super License status).
      1. 

         Jere (@jerejj)
         7th December 2020, 8:08

         @ykiki He’s safe on the super license side.
6. 

   NS Biker (@rekibsn)
   7th December 2020, 2:39

   All the talk about Albon, and as Monty P. would say … The end is nigh.
   But no chatter about Vettel who hasn’t done much in all of 2020 apart from a well earned (and lucky) result in Turkey.
   If Vettel doesn’t show some flash in 2021, as in prior seasons, Checo may have a shot at Aston M. yet again.
   COTD … Agreed. GR is owed a BIG one from MB. Hope they get to do it again next week.
   1. 

      kuvemar
      7th December 2020, 6:47

      Nah, Seb has been hired as a brand ambassador for AM. The driving part is a minor role and he doesn’t have to deliver as a driver. They’re keeping him for a few years to establish him as part of the AM family and then retire him.
      1. 

         Maho Pacheco
         7th December 2020, 8:04

         this ^^
7. 

   Thomson (@fish123)
   7th December 2020, 3:16

   I absolutely agree with him! It’s a good result for Alpha Tauri though!

   Jokes aside… Red bull just have to take Perez. No questions asked.
   1. 

      JohnEver (@johnever)
      7th December 2020, 9:13

      I don’t have a very good feeling with Perez, or didn’t have, don’t know why. Don’t know if he fits in with Red Bull..

      But wow, he really has shown how to perform, get the most out of it. My mind is changed: Perez deserves it!
      1. 

         ian dearing
         7th December 2020, 13:00

         Not sure now. Will Buxton seems pretty confident of some good news for Perez in the next few days.
8. 

   Pinak Ghosh (@pinakghosh)
   7th December 2020, 4:53

   Albon couldn’t have done better. Can’t say what Max could have done.
   I think he like Bottas is having enough rope at the moment.
9. 

   GeeMac (@geemac)
   7th December 2020, 6:24

   @bascb Is absolutely correct. As a job interview, that was about the best Russell could have hoped for. He had everything thrown at him and performed remarkably in every circumstance. The only thing he didn’t have to deal with was rain. Mercedes are in no doubt now how he would react in just about any circumstance, they now know (as we all do) that he will react incredibly well. It was a fantastic performance.

   So fantastic in fact that, as someone who has been a believer in Vatteri Bottas since I watched him trackside in FP1 at Abu Dhabi in 2012 and was incredibly impressed by how committed he was to turn 1 – only Hamilton was anything like as committed, I am now incredibly worried. Russell comprehensively had Bottas’ number in the race. He out-dragged him at the start, managed the pace well and looked in control (though Bottas was chipping away at the gap before the fated pitstop). Bottas is going to have to have a blinder of a 2021 season to justify his continued presence in the team.
   1. 

      Hugh Lynn
      7th December 2020, 9:38

      I don’t get how Bottas still has his 2021 seat. George made him look so pedestrian. Bottas barely scraped pole from a guy who had basically never driven the car before and didn’t know all the settings, and could barely fit inside the cockpit. In the race at every opportunity Russell excelled and Bottas floundered. Off the start, Bottas went backwards, on the first restart after the safety car, he was almost caught by a Mclaren, after the bodged pitstops Russell immediately made up places, whilst Bottas ambled around on the wrong tires going nowhere. Until his puncture Russell lead like an experienced champ, he managed his tires well and controlled the race.

      This season Bottas has been average at best. Realistically by half way through the season we all knew he didn’t have a hope of challenging for the championship. Being Lewis’ teammate has been brutal for Bottas, he has lost that consistency he had in Williams and he’s even lost the quali pace he had last year. It’s sad to watch him go backwards like this. At least in a new team he could get out of Lewis’ shadow and get back to being that driver who impressed so much at Williams.

      Come on Merc, get Russell into that car for 2021, it’s such a waste of talent watching him dominate his team mate in a Williams, he could be challenging Lewis, learning from him to be the next multi-world champion.
   2. 

      chimaera2003 (@chimaera2003)
      7th December 2020, 12:41

      @geemac Thinking about it more, perhaps seeing a team-backed third driver come in and demonstrate a high level of performance is what Bottas needs to find another gear.

      Upto now, perhaps subconsciously he knew that as long as he played a solid supporting role (is help win WCC and help Lewis for WDC) his seat was never in real danger and he would be continue to be well rewarded financially.

      A stark realisation that a new guy is ready to take your seat will remove any subconscious feeling of comfort and allow him to make the next step as his job is genuinely on the line for 2022.
10. 

    BasCB (@bascb)
    7th December 2020, 7:46

    Thanks for the CotD! This one i actually really like. I was really so thrilled after last race.

    And yes, I agree with you @geemac, that Bottas seriously underperformed. I guess he let things get to him and let that unsettle him.

    First the way Hamilton had him beaten in Turkey. And the unlucky race last time out that left him unable to do anything about it to show for him. And now being only slightly behind Russel and seemingly overdriving the car in the first stint, locking up in many places. And to add insult to injury, getting called in the pits, waiting to be served with tyres only to see them put on tyres, take them off and then mount the old set back on dropping him into the middle of the pack with ice cold, old, hard tyres for a restart. He’s been going on a downwards trajectory for a few races now, when before he always seemed to be finding motivation to go out and try to beat Hamilton.
    1. 

       Red Andy (@red-andy)
       7th December 2020, 9:30

       @bascb I think it is an interesting contrast with Rosberg who, although he was roundly beaten by Hamilton in 2015, upped his game at the end of the season and won the last three races fair and square. (There were some suggestions that Hamilton had checked out early but that doesn’t seem to be in his nature, so I’m not sure it’s true). He carried that form into the early part of 2016 and built up enough of a gap to make the title a reality.

       Bottas, by contrast, seems all over the place since his realistic title hopes ended mid-season. He’s fortunate that Verstappen had his own troubles yesterday, or he could be at serious risk of missing out on second place as well.
       1. 

          BasCB (@bascb)
          7th December 2020, 9:57

          Yeah, that is certainly a huge contrast. It seems that really was Rosberg telling himself to not let himself down and get behind an all out attempt to finally beat Hamilton @red-andy. It always impressed me how Nico managed to find that resolve to knuckle down and do the job.

          I do think that until a few races ago Bottas has mostly been able to pick himself up and find new energy too, but right now it does not look like he is doing anything like Rosberg was able to muster.
          Had Max been in the race, he would probably have already been in p2 now. So Bottas did get a chance. But it will be interesting to see how Bottas goes next weekend, it will probably only get harder and harder for him to believe in himself. I do hope he picks himself up and shows us he can do it, I always hope to see sporters grow. But hard to expect anything like that is on the cards right now.
          1. 

             Todfod (@todfod)
             8th December 2020, 4:26

             @bascb

             Honestly. I think it just goes down to killer instinct and the depths that an individual will go to in pursuit of that championship.
             Rosberg knew he was never as good as Lewis. He’d been racing Lewis his whole life and finishing behind him, but he didn’t let that affect his championship challenge. He was always around trying to make the most of a situation in case Lewis failed to show up, and if Lewis was on his game, he would go to any extent to throw Lewis off his game, be it on-track antics or off track antics. Monaco 2014 and Spa 2014 are great examples of the mind games Rosberg played to get Lewis off his game.
             Bottas’ nice guy persona isn’t really working for him. You can’t go to war with this attitude. Rosberg was willing to disrupt the harmony within the team for personal gains, but Bottas doesn’t have that approach. You can’t beat Lewis in a straight fight.
          2. 

             BasCB (@bascb)
             8th December 2020, 6:56

             Yes, that is a fair assessment I think. And off course it is also the reason why Mercedes is satisfied their current line up works well to let Hamilton work his magic and win the championships for him with just enough pressure from Bottas to keep him sharp @todfod.
11. 

    BOSS
    7th December 2020, 8:40

    That second Red Bull seat is Perez’s to lose.
12. 

    sebsronnie (@sebsronnie)
    7th December 2020, 8:49

    Reading Wolff’s comments and seeing as to how they went through the trouble of securing Russell for the weekend even though Vandoorne was readily available with the championships done and dusted makes it clear that he (Toto) knows Russell will be their next lead driver. I strongly suspect there are two reasons they haven’t replaced Bottas with him yet: First – the worry that no matter how good Russell is, if he came in and got comprehensively beaten by Lewis, his F1 career could easily come to a premature end just like Vandoorne’s. From that perspective, it would be make sense not to rush things and have him come in either when Lewis retires OR when age starts to take a toll on his performance. The second reason is the worry that if he did come in and perform really well, the team harmony that they’ve worked so hard on establishing would quickly dissipate and there would be a real possibility of outright strife like Mclaren 2007 (and to a lesser extent Mercedes 2016, Red Bull 2014/2018 and Ferrari 2019). Whereas that would no doubt be great for us as fans, I don’t think Mercedes care that much for our entertainment vis-a-vis their stability and continued success. Afterall, they’re winning everything even with their current driver lineup.

    The first reason will be sneered at by those who have already declared GR to be faster/better than Lewis and they’ll definitely be in support of the second reason. It has been quite amusing to see people drawing conclusions from just a single weekend at an atypical track and defending them with so much passion. I suspect whoever thinks F1 is dying hasn’t come across the level of fanboy-ism (and “hate”) on these forums! The bottom line is that Toto and the Mercedes team know how good Russell is and they probably used this opportunity to evaluate other areas of his development. My suspicion is they are very happy now because their future appears to be safe. I think that Abu Dhabi will provide a clearer picture (the more data points, the better since even Bottas performs exceptionally well sometimes and makes Lewis look ordinary). He’s tested a Mercedes there and was pretty rapid as well so it will be good to see whether he outperforms Bottas.

    Nonetheless, it is a bit silly to assume he’d beat Lewis (or even Bottas to be honest) consistently just because of yesterday and some fans really need to tone down their wild assumptions. But it was great to see him justify the hype around him and I hope we get to see him in that seat in 2022 (or some races in 2021).
13. 

    Todfod (@todfod)
    7th December 2020, 9:18

    While I understand drivers use “we” often in interviews to reemphasize that this is a team sport, sometimes they need to mention a clear “I” when it comes to individual evaluation.

    Albon should clearly mention that 6th was the best ‘he’ could achieve today. Max would have won this race with ease after looking at how the Mercs made a mess of things.
    1. 

       Balue (@balue)
       7th December 2020, 13:14

       @todfod

       While I understand drivers use “we” often in interviews to reemphasize that this is a team sport, sometimes they need to mention a clear “I” when it comes to individual evaluation.

       Yes, it borders on cringe sometimes
14. 

    Brendon
    7th December 2020, 9:22

    Albon doesn’t have the right mentality for Red Bull; they need someone with a bit of mongrel in that seat. Are Marko/Horner ”tied up” because of Red Bulls ownership having a vested interest in Albons success, or is that simply outlandish? If they are serious about competing for future titles, then Alex is clearly the weakest link. When you listen to the level of praise and diplomacy Verstappen uses when talking about Lewis/Valteri/Mercedes, there is no doubt in my mind that he is ready to jump ship if and when the opportunity arises. Merc need Valteri’s calm, innocuous poise to manage Lewis’ naked ego, but once Lewis retires, Russell and Verstappen as future teammates at Merc is my prediction.
15. 

    Qeki (@qeki)
    7th December 2020, 9:44

    Red Bull has 2 seats and 3 (Albon, Tsunoda and Perez) drivers to sign up. Someone has to back of and I’m afraid it will be Albon. From a winning team to out of the sport..
16. 

    Patrick (@anunaki)
    7th December 2020, 10:08

    I think we should consider the opportunity that redbull doesn’t have the 2nd best car at all.
17. 

    Dave
    7th December 2020, 12:14

    Dear Red Bull: Enjoy Australia 2021 you noobs
18. 

    Arhn (@arhn)
    7th December 2020, 15:32

    I wonder how long Delétraz will stay at Haas and if he is ever going to have a seat in F1. I get that he is angry against their decision to put Fittipaldi in the car, when there is no apparent logical reason to do so. But he will only end up antagonizing Steiner, and I don’t think any of the F1 team managers wants to have a driver that so vehemently criticizes a team’s decisions.
19. 

    Aloha
    8th December 2020, 2:35

    Bottas to Red Bull.
    Albon to Williams.
    Russell to Mercedes.

    Problem solved.
20. 

    Rashmil Rajagopalan
    8th December 2020, 6:18

    It seems logical for Red Bull to give the seat to Perez. With the same regulations continuing to 2021 and the short winter break, an inform and high on confidence Perez would make so much more sense than Albon.
    Everyone likes Alex, but he’s very low on confidence, going by his driving form and also in his interviews. A break or a change away from a strong teammate like Verstappen and RedBull would anyday be a positive
21. 

    geoffgroom44 (@)
    9th December 2020, 20:28

    Everyone seems so keen to quote stats to demonstrate that Albon should not be at RB. I see very few stats,anywhere, defending why Perez should get the RB seat. So, I ‘binged’ and got some: First race, 2011 Australian GP. 192 race entries, 190 race starts, 24 DNF’s, 1 race win, 10 podiums.
    Pierre Gasly’s first race 2017. 63 race entries, 1 win, 2 podiums.
    Albon: first race 2019, 37 races, 2 podiums

    I’m sure racefan commentators can correct me (or my search engines sources) if I am wrong :-)

Comments are closed.