Red Bull F1 and Toro Rosso Confirm Their Drivers for 2020

In a move which was quite possibly expected by many, Alexander Albon will remain at Red Bull for the 2020 Formula One season. The Thai driver was brought in at the last minute to drive for Toro Rosso, before being bumped up to the senior Red Bull team from Belgium onwards.

Now, evidently, the rookie has impressed enough people to warrant a contract in Red Bull itself. In seven races, his best finish was fourth at the Japanese Grand Prix, which raised plenty of eyebrows in wonder.

“Alex has performed extremely well since his debut with the team in Belgium and his results, seven finishes in the top six, speak for themselves,” said Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner.

“It’s extremely hard to deny that level of consistency and in tandem with a growing reputation as a tenacious, fiercely committed racer, Alex has proved that he fully deserves to continue his progress with Aston Martin Red Bull Racing. There is plenty of potential still to unlock and we look forward to seeing Alex alongside Max in 2020.”

Understandably, Alex Albon was over the moon and exclaimed giddily that he was excited to partner Max Verstappen again. The young driver confessed that he was grateful for the opportunity and thanked the team for their faith.

He said, “This year has been an incredible year for me and getting the call up to Red Bull mid-season was already a big step, so now I will use the learnings from this season and use the experience to improve and fight at the front in 2020.”

The news continues the remarkable reversal in the career fortunes of Albon who found himself dropped from the Austrian firm’s junior programme in 2012 after a difficult start to his single-seater career.

Albon’s announcement also means that Pierre Gasly and Daniil Kvyat will stay put at Toro Rosso. More importantly, the news shuts down another potential avenue for out-going Renault driver Nico Hulkenberg, who had been vaguely linked to the second seat at Red Bull.