Red Bull Motorsports
F1
The start of the 2019 F1 season can't come quick enough for Alex Albon
Scuderia Toro Rosso's new recruit Alex Albon talks about (finally) living the F1 dream, prepping for the season opener in Melbourne, and why he’s determined to "stay in his corner" in his first year.
It's all change at Scuderia Toro Rosso for 2019. The team's new line-up sees 22-year-old Alexander Albon racing alongside the slightly more experienced Daniil Kvyat in a new, Honda-powered STR14 car.
Albon will be hoping to pick up some pointers from Russia's Kvyat, who is competing in his fifth season in F1 after spending 2018 as a development driver for Scuderia Ferrari. The young British-Thai driver, however, is making his debut in the premier class after finishing third in last season's Formula 2 championship. The former Red Bull Junior driver was set to move into Formula E before Toro Rosso nabbed him.
With the F1 season opener in Melbourne fast approaching, we caught up with Albon ahead of pre-season testing in Barcelona to see what's it like to finally be living out his childhood dream.
1 min
Scuderia Toro Rosso STR14 reveal
Discover the Scuderia Toro Rosso STR14.
Why did you pick 23 as your race number?
I haven’t had a set number for most of my career. The only time I did have one was when I was in go-karts and I had number 46 – for Valentino Rossi, because I’m a massive fan. I didn’t want to be 46 now because that’s his, so I thought '23, half the number', and I was also born on 23 March. That seemed about right.
You’re stepping up to F1 from Formula 2. Does that switch bring with it a lot of extra demands?
Physically, when you compare F1 to F2 there’s a huge step. Pure strength is not too much of a factor, because you have power steering in F1. But in terms of cardio fitness, the races now are almost double what we were doing in Formula 2. Also, there’s a lot of strain on your neck. The G-forces are that much higher. I’m flat out with my trainer and most of the work we're doing is cardio – neck and core strength.
On the mental side, it’s learning the steering wheel. The amount of work you have to do in the car compared with Formula 2 is far greater. It’s getting there. I still have a few more days in the simulator. We're just trying to be as prepared as possible, because we need to be ready for that first test in Barcelona.
Alex Albon in his Scuderia Toro Rosso F1 uniform
© Dustin Snipes/Red Bull Content Pool
You were confirmed as a Toro Rosso driver just as the winter break started. It’s been a long wait, but how excited are you to get going?
I’ve dreamed about the season opener in Melbourne, that’s for sure. I’m still going through that process of feeling what it’s like to be an F1 driver, but the time is coming quickly, so I can feel it.
It’s scary, but it’s exciting as well, and that’s the main thing. There is going to be quite a bit of pressure, but the main thing is just to enjoy it. This is all I’ve been dreaming about since I was six years old, so I’ll be living it in Melbourne.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given ahead of your first season in F1?
It was probably my first piece of advice, and it was that there is such a big spotlight on the driver through the whole year that it can become a lot to deal with. We’ve seen previously that it can get to a driver. The advice I got was just to stay in your corner, focus on the job in hand – and as long as you do that correctly, you should have a good year.
Alex Albon's helmet for 2019
© Dustin Snipes/Red Bull Content Pool Photo Style: Square
This season is a shot at redemption for both you and Daniil Kvyat as you both return to the Red Bull fold. Is that how it feels?
To be back with the Red Bull family fills me with a lot of motivation and determination. I think Dani and I both feel we have something to prove, and to be given the opportunity to come back and race for Toro Rosso – to be honest, it’s a dream really.
