Albon refuses to close Red Bull door

Alex Albon has refused to rule out a return to Red Bull in the future despite recently signing a new multi-year deal with Williams.

The Thai-British driver raced with Red Bull for 26 grands prix across the 2019 and '20 seasons after rising through the ranks as a junior with the team.

But Albon was dropped in favour of Sergio Perez after failing to live up to the team's high expectations in his second season and spent a year in a reserve driver role last term.

Ahead of the current season, Williams arranged a loan deal to sign the 26-year-old and although Albon remarked that Red Bull had sent him out "on my own with my backpack", he has left the door open for a return.

"I’d say Red Bull is the same as any other team, there is always an option on any driver at any given time," said Albon. "That’s how it is.

"Obviously, I have a strong relationship with Red Bull from when I was 12 years old, so I still get on very well with everyone there but that is different now in that I am a Williams driver by myself."

Albon - "It doesn't make sense to be on loan"

Albon has stated his vision of a bright future for Williams and believes his latest deal offers the stability for the team to grow.

"I am a Williams driver," he added. "I think, especially if you are doing more long-term contracts, it doesn’t make sense to be on loan.

"The future with Wiliams is beyond a year. It’s looking into the partnership and really trying to get the team up the grid.

"To do that you really need to be ingrained in the team and fully focused towards that.

"That’s not to say I wasn’t this year. Of course I was. But it’s nice to be in a complete bubble where we are pushing together.

"It’s not just something for a year but focusing on development after that."

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