Probably the explanation that most eloquently describes the talent and magic that Max Verstappen is capable of doing every Sunday is owned by Alex Albon, who shared a workshop with the Dutchman for a season and a half, until Red Bull decided to get rid of him. him at the end of 2020. The driver, a member of the red buffalo brand’s training program, competes today wearing the Williams suit, where he has been able to revitalize himself and shine again, always to the extent of the Grove team (Great Britain). Despite having suffered the tyranny of the current champion, Albon is one of the members of the grid who has the most affinity with him. He and he are one of those who know him best, both on the track and off it. Just like what has happened to any of the neighbors in the workshop Mad Max, the rider, born in London but who competes under the Thai flag, arrived with all the enthusiasm in the world at Red Bull, in mid-2019, after the ruthless leadership of the energy company decided to promote him from Toro Rosso, and place him in Pierre Gasly’s car, which was demoted. What happened was that illusion can be a double-edged sword, which in this case ended up giving Albon a blow: his two podiums – always third positions – in a year and a half contrasted with the 15 – three wins included – that he accumulated. Verstappen. A difference in performance that Red Bull does not consider acceptable.
Having overcome the disappointment of his dismissal, Albon appeared as a guest on the podcast High Performance, which revolves around those individuals who have a special ability in a specific field, not just racing. And, evidently, one of the themes that transcended and had the most impact was the testimony about Verstappen. “Many people say the car is built around Max features. But, in reality, the car is what it is. What ends up happening is that he has a very particular driving style, which is not very easy to adapt to. [como compañero]”, Albon explains. “My type of driving is somewhat softer. Like him, I also like the car to be very direct and reactive at the front. The same thing happens to Max, but the level of reactivity that he likes is in another dimension” continues the Thai, who, sitting in front of his interlocutors, chooses to use a practical example to adapt his language and make it somewhat more intelligible. . “On your computer, if you increase the reaction speed of the mouse, the cursor immediately shoots to the limits of the screen. Control is increasingly complicated. That’s what happens with the car. You, to control it, become more and more tense. And what happens is that, with that, you start to lose ground,” argues Albon. “At first it is little, but as the season progresses, and he wants an increasingly sharper, faster car, you are forced to take more risks to recover that disadvantage. You lose confidence, and the margin [con él] It grows and grows,” emphasizes Williams.
In China, this weekend, another episode occurred that confirmed the story a few lines above. After winning on Saturday, in the first test at sprint of this exercise, Verstappen was awarded the pole and took the victory on Sunday, in another exercise of incontestable dominance. The good start of Fernando Alonso (seventh), who placed second in the second corner, made a wall grow behind the Asturian, and that allowed the boy from Hasselt to enjoy another Sunday of bathing and massage. Not even the interruptions, always faithful to the event in Shanghai, and which retreated the peloton, jeopardized his fourth victory of the course and number 58 on his results sheet. The podium was completed by Lando Norris and Checo Pérez, while Carlos Sainz crossed the finish line fifth.
You can follow Morning Express Deportes in Facebook and xor sign up here to receive our weekly newsletter.
