Helmut Marko has put an element of blame at Lewis Hamilton for how Alex Albon Redbull career played out
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Alex Albon and Redbull
Albon’s career started off well enough at Redbull while driving for Toro Rosso leading to Redbull promoting him to the main Redbull team to replace the struggling Pierre Gasly during the 2019 season. Unfortunately Alex’s form took a nosedive leading to him to be replaced after a season and a half.
Marko Blames Hamilton
Helmut Marko believes that Lewis Hamilton is partly to blame for Alex Albon’s Redbull career failing, after The two drivers were involved in incidents that cost Albon a good result.
The first of the two was at the 2019 Brazilian GP when Hamilton tagged Albon as he was attempting to pass Pierre Gasly for third, Albon would drop to fourteenth and Hamilton was handed a five second penalty.
The second incident (pictured above) was at the 2020 Austrian GP, when Hamilton spun the Redbull driver out of contention for a win.
Albon was on the outside of turn four when Hamilton tagged the rear of the Redbull sending it into the gravel and prompting some angry comments from Alex on the team radio.
Helmut Marko
While appearing on the Inside Line Podcast, Helmut expressed his opinion on Alex and Hamilton
” Alex, I have to say, was really unlucky”
“In Brazil, he was fighting for second position when Hamilton turned him around” “Fine, it didnt help Alex. But he lost his podium.
“And the next, which is more severe, was in Austria, when Alex was fighting for the win when, again, it was turned around by Hamilton”
“That hit his confidence massively…massively.”
“Second or even the win, was on the table. Someone took the glory away. That made it difficult from this moment, his self confidence was down and we needed someone we knew to fight for the championship, we needed two solid drivers”
Alex would lose the 2021 drive moving to a reserve role for the season, however his simulator and development work assisted Verstappen to his first title. Alex’s contributions did not go unnoticed at Redbull, who assited the driver in getting a race seat (Williams) for the 2022 season.
Do you believe that Helmut Marko has a point? or should Redbull have supported Alex Albon with his confidence issues more?
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