Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly shed light on the challenges they faced as teammates with Max Verstappen in Formula 1, particularly in the context of Sergio Perez’s struggles this season.
Perez has encountered a challenging third campaign alongside Verstappen, managing to secure only two victories compared to Verstappen’s impressive tally of 17. Currently, Perez finds himself trailing behind with a substantial 266-point gap.
For the 2021 season, Red Bull enlisted Perez, marking a departure from their tradition of primarily selecting drivers from their renowned development program. Perez’s signing follows the trend set by Mark Webber in 2007, making him the first non-development program driver for the Austrian team.
This move came after Perez took over from Alex Albon, who, despite being promoted midway through his rookie season in 2019, faced a difficult year in 2020, leading to his eventual replacement.
Recounting his year-and-a-half spent alongside Verstappen, Albon said in Mexico: “I think it’s always tough. I think it’s tough to go against one of the best drivers on the grid and call it a generational talent to some extent, so it wasn’t easy my year and I’m sure it wasn’t easy for Pierre in his year.
“But we’re drivers, you know, we go through tough times and it makes us stronger. And yeah, there’s not too much to say.
“I think he’s [Perez] handling quite well, at least from what I see. So, like I said, I’m not looking over my shoulders too much and seeing see what goes on down the paddock.”
Albon and Gasly underwent a swap initially, with Gasly being demoted to Red Bull’s secondary team after struggling against Verstappen in the first half of 2019.
Gasly, currently with Alpine, expressed understanding for Perez’s current challenges, highlighting how the entire Red Bull setup is geared towards maximizing Verstappen’s exceptional talent.
He remarked, “It’s never easy to compete against arguably the best driver at the moment, coupled with the best team and a setup fully centered around him. So, it’s undoubtedly a challenging task.”
“I mean, Checo did very well at the start of the season. Obviously, for some reasons, it’s not going as well now – reasons we don’t know. But, you know, I just wish him the best.”
After a stint on the sidelines, Albon made a comeback with Williams last year, successfully rebuilding his reputation as a crucial team leader for the Grove squad.
The Anglo-Thai driver has been instrumental in scoring all but one of Williams’ 28 points in 2023, positioning the legendary British team to secure a seventh-place finish in the Constructors’ Championship.
On the other hand, Gasly, who showcased his talent with the Faenza team, including a memorable victory at Monza in 2020, secured a move to Alpine for the current season.
Despite the challenges faced by the Enstone camp this year, Gasly achieved a podium in Zandvoort and is currently on track to outscore his teammate and fellow countryman Esteban Ocon.
