Red Bull make rare offer for F1 to prevent Mercedes move
The driver of Thai-British origin is currently in high demand
Red Bull have reportedly made an offer to Alex Albon that will give them an option to sign the Williams star once his contract concludes after the 2025 season.
The driver of Thai-British origin is currently in high demand and is being considered as a formidable candidate to take the place of Lewis Hamilton, who is set to join Ferrari, at Mercedes.
Albon previously spent 18 months with the Red Bull team in 2019 and 2020 but faced challenges in delivering consistent results during the latter part of that period. He was subsequently replaced by Sergio Perez, who was displaced from Racing Point to accommodate Sebastian Vettel's arrival.
After a year in the Formula 1 wilderness in 2021, Albon made a comeback to the grid with Williams. Since then, he has successfully rebuilt his reputation and established himself as the primary driver for the Grove-based team. His stock is currently at its peak, having triumphed over Logan Sargeant 21-0 in the 2023 qualifying battle and securing 27 out of the team's total 28 points.
As per a report from Motorsport-Total, Red Bull is keen on reintegrating Albon into their lineup in the future, potentially as a replacement for Perez. The German news outlet has outlined that the reigning world champions have proposed a right-of-first-refusal offer to the 27-year-old, providing them with the option to sign him for the 2026 season.
The Williams star is also viewed as one of the most compelling choices to fill Hamilton’s position at Mercedes in 2025. His close friendship with George Russell further enhances his appeal, particularly after the most robust season of his career thus far. Should he opt for Red Bull's offer, however, he would essentially be preventing himself from joining Mercedes or any other F1 team.
Despite the ongoing speculation about his future, Albon has emphasized his dedication to his current team. Following the unveiling of Williams’ 2024 challenger in New York, he stated: “My whole focus is on Williams and that's where I see myself. The rate of progression, to me, is also very important, so time will tell. I feel like I'm very close to my peak.
"There's always improvements to be done and there's still areas to improve, but generally, with my experience now and where I am, I feel like I am deserving of a car that can score podiums and fight for wins. And that's just being totally honest with how I see myself.
"More than anything, I want that team to be Williams. And that's where I put all my work and all my efforts into. And outside of that, that's just really: how does it fall into place? It's very clear to me, especially when you see the driver market, there's a huge interest in teams wanting the same driver for 25 and 26.
“That's how it looks like it's playing out. And let's see about that. Realistically I want to be with the team. If the team is where I want it to be, it will be a long-term contract. We're gonna go all the way or nothing. That's my idea with it."
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