"Shielded" Albon used ethnicity to "stand out" from the crowd

Red Bull driver Alex Albon has revealed he used his ethnicity to help him "stand out" from the crowd during his junior career.

British-born Thai driver Albon is one of only two non-white drivers in the 20-strong Formula 1 grid, the other being six-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.

The current season has seen a push for increased diversity in F1 and society as a whole, with Hamilton leading that drive within the paddock.

Albon, who was just 12 years old when Hamilton captured his first world title in 2008, claims the Mercedes driver was then someone he admired as he had proven ethnicity was not a barrier to achievement.

"With everything, Lewis was someone to look up to when I was growing up, as I am sure with a lot of drivers my age," said Red Bull driver Albon.

"Truthfully, on my side, it was his ethnicity. I also saw it as a way to stand out and was also a way to get me through the junior formulas.

"I was always backed through Thailand and I always had an opportunity so there are definitely different ways about it."

Albon explained how his upbringing afforded him a degree of protection from the issues of racism, but he acknowledged others have been less fortunate.

"I was pretty shielded as a kid," he continued. "I was brought up in a good school, a private school and no issues.

"The thing is, I raced in Europe so early on in my career, I was pretty okay. That is not to say that people have it easy, it is just I never faced it."

Asked whether diversity issues had ever worked against him in his career, Albon replied: "No, I wouldn't say so. If anything it was good for me. It helped me explore and get funding from other places."

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