Red Bull has reportedly attempted to secure priority on Alex Albon’s Formula 1 future with a proposal that would hand the team an option on the Williams driver’s services.
Albon has emerged as a notable contender for several top-line drives in recent times following a series of standout displays since returning to F1 with Williams two years ago.
The Anglo-Thai driver spearheaded the Grove-based squad’s rise to seventh place in the Constructors’ Championship last season, scoring all but one of the team’s 28 points.
Lewis Hamilton’s bombshell switch to Ferrari in 2025 has created a vacancy at Mercedes, while speculation suggested that Red Bull had submitted a multi-year contract to Albon.
But while Autosport understands a contract hasn’t exchanged hands between the two parties, the publication states that Red Bull is “looking to secure a first option” on Albon.
Providing Albon accepts, the contents of the agreement would grant the reigning champions the chance to sign Albon for three years from the beginning of 2026.
It had been touted that his current contract expired at the end of this year, but Williams Team Principal James Vowles clarified that Albon’s deal does extend to cover 2025.
Although that wouldn’t prevent other rivals such as Mercedes courting him, it would take Albon’s future out of his hands if he were to become realigned with Red Bull.
Albon entered F1 in 2019 with Red Bull as he drove for its second-string entry, then known as Toro Rosso, before earning a promotion only 12 races into his rookie campaign.
However, he struggled alongside Max Verstappen in a troublesome RB16 car the following season and was dropped for the vastly experienced Sergio Perez for 2021.
But having rebuilt his career with a side also looking to revive its fortunes in Williams, Albon reiterated at the team’s 2024 launch his ambitions to compete for victories.
Albon proclaimed that his wish was to achieve that with the British outfit, and he admitted that he was relishing seeing the progress it has made with its FW46 car.
“I feel like I’m very close to my peak,” he expressed. “There are always improvements to be done and there are still areas to improve, but generally, with my experience now and where I am, I feel like I am deserving of a car that can score podiums and fight for wins. And that’s just being totally honest with how I see myself.”
“More than anything, I want that team to be Williams and that’s where I put all my work and all my efforts into.
When asked whether there had been discussions over his future, Albon said: “I would be denying it if I said that there [haven’t] been questions and general chats surrounding around that, but truthfully it’s not really personally my area, that’s more my management. My focus is on driving.
“Where I stand is, I’m very excited to see how this FW46 develops, I want to see how the car feels in Bahrain and the subsequent four, five, six races and really get a feel for the progression that I hope we’ve made as a team.
“My whole focus is on Williams and that’s where I see myself. The rate of progression to me is also very important, so time will tell.”
But pressed to expand on the prospect of there being flexibility to look elsewhere within his current terms, Albon said: “Let’s see. Time will tell. But my focus is on 2024.
“The real focus is on making sure that we make progress for 2025. Yeah, that’s really where I’m at.
“Realistically I want to be with the team. If the team are where I want them to be, it will be a long-term contract. We’re gonna go all the way or nothing.”
