The entire F1 circuit is aware about the downfall of Alex Albon, but have we ever linked it to Lewis Hamilton? We take a trip down memory lane and discover how Lewis Hamilton cost Alex his seat in Red Bull. The Thai-British racing driver Alex Albon currently races for Williams and is P12 in the driver’s standings.
This comes when Lewis Hamilton himself is unsure of a seat in Formula One next year as the deal with Mercedes is stalling and hitting bumps. Reports suggest they will unveil it next week at Silverstone, and yet the details are uncertain.
Mercedes hit a roadblock in Lewis Hamilton’s renewal
As we all know, Lewis Hamilton’s contract ends this season, and he desperately needs an extension or renewal. Mercedes star’s current salary is £27.5 million plus a £15 million bonus, which he would receive only if he wins the F1 championship trophy. However, he would want a guaranteed £15 million bonus with his new deal. This is where Mercedes and LH appear to have hit a roadblock.
Hamilton’s requests for a 10-year ambassadorial duty after retirement are “not prepared” by the silver arrows. Owing to his new contract, the Brit could make £10 million more a year.
Red Bull chief accuses Lewis Hamilton of Albon’s downfall
Let us understand why the public blames Hamilton for Albon’s downfall. The first incident occurred at Interlagos in 2019 when Alex was on for his first-ever F1 podium. After a collision with the Mercedes, he spun around, after which Hamilton admitted he was wholly to blame.
Later, the pair collided again at the season-opening Austrian Grand Prix the next year, sending Albon into the gravel. He secured two podiums later in 2020, but it was not enough for him to keep his seat.
“The decision was between Albon and Perez. I have to say Alex was really unlucky. He was fighting for the second position in Brazil when Hamilton turned him around. The next [incident] was more severe in Austria when Alex was fighting for the race. That hurt his confidence massively. We needed someone we knew could fight for the championship; we needed to solve a crisis.” said Helmut Marko when asked about Lewis and Alex.
Whether due to Lewis Hamilton or not, Alex Albon failed to impress the higher-ups enough to let him stay on as the second driver. However, he has had quite a good stint with Williams and hopes to switch up places into higher-order teams in the coming years. Stay tuned to Sportszion to find out.
