Horner “struggles to understand” Albon criticism
Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner says Alex Albon doesn’t deserve to be criticised for his early season performances in the 2020 Formula 1 season.
Albon finished fifth in Budapest after failing to make Q3 when caught out by a lack of running with a set-up introduced on Saturday morning.
His charge into the top five from 13th on the grid followed a solid fourth in the Styrian GP, where his first stint was compromised by tyre issues.
Inevitably, Albon has been under pressure to match the form of teammate Max Verstappen, while his clash with Lewis Hamilton in the season opening Austrian GP led to suggestions that he could have been more patient, despite the fact that the Mercedes driver was penalised.
“I’m very pleased,” said Horner when asked to rate Albon’s progress in Hungary. “I mean it's been a difficult weekend for Alex, the car spec has been changing a lot from session to session, and when you haven't got the experience, as he doesn't, that's harder to deal with.
“So I think actually in the race when he managed to find his rhythm and pace was very, very good and comparable with Max. His overtaking was strong, and against Ferraris and whoever else he was passing out there I thought he did a super job today.
“And if you look at his pace in clear air, it was pretty decent. I think we're very, very satisfied with Alex's performance today.”
Horner admitted that the team hasn’t made Albon’s life easy.
“He's had a tough start to the year in that we haven't given him a car that suited him, and Max's ability to drive around problems sometimes masks them.
“And I actually think that Alex has driven very well in the races this year, and hopefully as we improve the car, the Saturdays will improve.
“But his race craft, his race pace in in Austria last week, if you look when he was in clear in the second half of the race, and his performance in the race today, and I think he's done a great job, and I struggle to understand any criticism of him that you guys may have.
“We know we've got to tidy the car up and make life hopefully easier for the drivers and move us closer to Mercedes. They have a phenomenal car at the moment. And it's down to us close that gap and try and catch them.”
Ex-Renault F1's Chester joins Mercedes Formula E team
Who should decide on the future of F1?
Diriyah E-Prix: Buemi claims pole in 100th Formula E start
Sebastien Buemi claimed pole for his 100th Formula E race, coming from behind in the opening two sectors to beat Jake Hughes in an evenly-matched Diriyah E-Prix qualifying final.
Farfus says BMW could have reliability edge over LMDh rivals
Augusto Farfus has dismissed concerns about BMW's apparent lack of pace in the build-up to the Rolex 24 at Daytona, and feels the German manufacturer could have an edge when it comes reliability.
How Formula E's new emergency braking system will work
Formula E has introduced an emergency braking kit for the Diriyah E-Prix as a failsafe should the rear powertrain stop working over the course of a race weekend.
Maserati MSG not yet "consistently fast" with Gen3 FE car – Mortara
Edoardo Mortara says the Maserati MSG outfit still has to understand how to be "consistently fast" with the Gen3 Formula E car following a difficult Mexico City E-Prix.
Why Vasseur relishes 'feeling the pressure' as Ferrari's F1 boss
OPINION: Fred Vasseur has spent only a few weeks as team principal for the Ferrari Formula 1 team, but is already intent on taking the Scuderia back to the very top. And despite it being arguably the most demanding job in motorsport, the Frenchman is relishing the challenge
The crucial tech changes F1 teams must adapt to in 2023
Changes to the regulations for season two of Formula 1's ground-effects era aim to smooth out last year’s troubles and shut down loopholes. But what areas have been targeted, and what impact will this have?
Are these the 50 quickest drivers in F1 history?
Who are the quickest drivers in Formula 1 history? Luke Smith asked a jury of experienced and international panel of experts and F1 insiders. Some of them have worked closely with F1’s fastest-ever drivers – so who better to vote on our all-time top 50? We’re talking all-out speed here rather than size of trophy cabinet, so the results may surprise you…
One easy way the FIA could instantly improve F1
OPINION: During what is traditionally a very quiet time of year in the Formula 1 news cycle, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been generating headlines. He’s been commenting on massive topics in a championship that loves them, but also addressing necessary smaller changes too. Here we suggest a further refinement that would be a big boon to fans
How can McLaren keep hold of Norris?
Lando Norris is no longer the young cheeky-chappy at McLaren; he’s now the established ace. And F1's big guns will come calling if the team can’t give him a competitive car. Here's what the team needs to do to retain its prize asset
What difference did F1's fastest pitstops of 2022 make?
While a quick pitstop can make all the difference to the outcome of a Formula 1 race, most team managers say consistency is more important than pure speed. MATT KEW analyses the fastest pitstops from last season to see which ones – if any – made a genuine impact
When F1 'holiday' races kept drivers busy through the winter
Modern Formula 1 fans have grown accustomed to a lull in racing during winter in the northern hemisphere. But, as MAURICE HAMILTON explains, there was a time when teams headed south of the equator rather than bunkering down in the factory. And why not? There was fun to be had, money to be made and reputations to forge…
What Porsche social media frenzy says about F1’s manufacturer allure
Porsche whipped up a frenzy thanks to a cryptic social media post last week, and though it turned out to be a false alarm, it also highlighted more just why manufacturers remain such an important element in terms of the attraction that they bring to F1. It is little wonder that several other manufacturers are bidding for a slice of the action.
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.