Albon gets 'back into that racing mindset' at Silverstone

Alex Albon completed a shakedown of the 2020 Red Bull RB16 at Silverstone on Thursday, completing 100km as the team made the most of its second and final permitted filming day.

With UK quarantine laws preventing teammate Max Verstappen from attending, Albon drove the full distance on the shorter 'National Circuit' at Silverstone.

"It was good to be back in the car today at Silverstone for our filming day and good to shake off the dust and get back into it," said Albon.

"I haven’t been in an F1 car for three months but after five or six laps I was right back into it. All that work in the gym doesn’t really matter until you see it on track.

"It’s a small track, a busy track and it was really hot today. So it’s been a good way to see where I’m at with fitness and I’m happy with it.

"It was also great to see everyone again. I’ve been in regular contact with the guys on my side of the garage since Melbourne, so things haven’t changed too much and it was easy to get that understanding again.

"Overall it was a good opportunity to get back in touch with everything and to get back into that racing mindset."

As has been the case with other teams that have tested either modern or older machinery, the track time was also an opportunity to adapt to the new social distancing regulations within the garage.

Team principal Christian Horner added: "As a trial run this has been great for the Team to enable them to get used to these procedures, which are a little bit foreign, but which are vitally important, explained team boss Christian Horner.

"By the time we get to Austria, these procedures will be the new normal and today ensures that everybody knows what’s expected of them when we get to Austria.

"It’s important for the safety of our Team and everyone around us in Formula One."

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