Alex Albon’s Red Bull links make him a serious contender if Max Verstappen steps away

Alex Albon should not be overlooked if Red Bull are forced to find a replacement for Max Verstappen. That is the view of The Race’s Scott Mitchell-Malm, who believes the Williams driver’s ties to Red Bull’s ownership could place him firmly in the frame.

Unfinished business at Red Bull

Albon’s Formula 1 journey is closely intertwined with Red Bull. He made his debut with Toro Rosso in 2019 before earning a mid-season promotion to the senior team during his rookie year. His stint lasted 18 months before he was replaced by Sergio Perez. After a period away from a full-time race seat, Albon returned to the grid with Williams in 2022.

Williams secured an impressive fifth-place finish in last season’s championship, but their form has dipped at the start of the current rules cycle. After three races, they sit ninth with just two points and a single Q2 appearance.

Mitchell-Malm suspects Albon may view Red Bull as unfinished business, particularly given his reported relationship with the Yoovidhya family, who own around half of the team’s shares.

“I have Alex Albon as the outside pick if you don’t go from within,” said Mitchell-Malm. “There might well be a push factor away from Williams. There’ll be a pull factor in terms of Red Bull being a step-up in the short term, more potential as well.”

He added: “Personally, there’s a strong link with the Thai side of the Red Bull ownership. I believe that Albon still semi-regularly meets with the Yoovidhya family and has a very good relationship there. He will see himself as having unfinished business there. He would fit in terms of what driver Red Bull would need right now.”

A short-term solution?

There is a growing school of thought that Verstappen could remain connected to Red Bull — potentially as an ambassador — during a sabbatical from Formula 1. If that scenario materialises, the team may only require a temporary solution rather than a long-term star signing.

In that context, Albon’s profile becomes particularly relevant. Despite being a 130-race veteran, he could represent a flexible option should Red Bull anticipate a possible Verstappen return.

“I am wedded to this idea that, if Verstappen leaves, he comes back,” Mitchell-Malm explained. “If you think you’re going to get Max back in a year’s time, you don’t sign someone mega on a multi-year deal. You sign someone who you’ve got the option of basically fobbing off again, or moving around as you see fit.”

He acknowledged it would represent a gamble for Albon, but suggested the wider competitive picture matters.

“If you’re seeing it as a project that’s still two to three years away from getting back to full strength, I don’t think you want to be paying £30m, £40m for a megastar driver that’s going to make the difference between whether you finish ninth or seventh.”

Lindblad leads the internal options

Historically, Red Bull have preferred to promote from within. However, recent examples illustrate the risk. Liam Lawson lasted just two races when he previously stepped up to the sister team.

Arvid Lindblad, whose F1 career began only last month, is emerging as a serious contender. He delivered an impressive P8 on debut and has already reached Q3 twice.

Mitchell-Malm believes Lindblad would be the favourite if his upward trajectory continues.

“My gut feeling would be [that they] promote from within,” he said. “Then I think you’d go Lindblad over Lawson, because you’ve done the Lawson experiment, even if the people that did the Lawson experiment aren’t there.”

He added: “If Lindblad’s trajectory over the first half of the year continues to be encouraging, I can see a Hadjar/Lindblad combination there in 2027.”

That scenario would leave Isack Hadjar as the senior figure in the garage in just his third season — a bold but very Red Bull-style move.

For now, much hinges on Verstappen’s decision. But if Red Bull are seeking flexibility, continuity, and a driver with strong ties to ownership, Alex Albon may be far closer to the conversation than many expect.