Russell gets why Red Bull juniors drive at "120 percent"
George Russell says it is understandable under-pressure Red Bull juniors drive at “120 percent” given the programme's "cut-throat" history, but believes fellow Formula 1 rookie Alex Albon can thrive this year.
Red Bull dropped Albon in 2012 but managed to extract the Anglo-Thai from a Nissan Formula E contract last year so it could place him in F1 with its junior team Toro Rosso for 2019.
Albon scored his first points in Bahrain but suffered a big crash in final practice in China that forced him to miss qualifying.
Mercedes protege and Williams race driver Russell said: “Alex is doing a really great job at the moment. Everybody is aware of the pressure seen upon Red Bull juniors so you understand why they are all 120 percent every time they set foot in the car.
“I’m sure he’ll bounce back. He’s a great driver and he’s already proven that in the opening two races.”
Albon brushed off his crash in China, where he went on to finish 10th despite having to start from the pitlane, saying that errors such as his crash, having had a minor accident in practice in Australia that broke his front wing, as “inevitable” as a rookie.
When Russell’s comments were put to him after the race, Albon said he was used to pressure after “begging” for his DAMS drive in Formula 2 last year.
“I've been in a junior team before, and even last year I was racing for my seat every weekend,” said Albon. “I'm kind of used to it, and I'm still quite comfortable with myself and confident in myself. I'm not worried about things like that.”
Russell won back-to-back GP3 and Formula 2 titles with Mercedes’ support, and raced Albon last year in the main F1 feeder series.
Those championship successes came despite poor starts to the season, which Russell admitted were handled differently by Mercedes than he had expected.
He described the historical pressure of Red Bull’s junior scheme, which has a reputation for axing drivers despite currently fielding two recalled juniors in Albon and Daniil Kvyat, as “more cut-throat compared to usual”.
“It’s not that I don’t feel pressure,” he said. “If I’m not performing Mercedes won’t keep me there.
“When I opened the season in Bahrain last year in F2 and it was a poor weekend, opened the season in Barcelona in GP3 it was a poor weekend, the response from Toto [Wolff] was, ‘Don’t worry about it, it’s the first race, it’s a long season, make sure you do better next time’. I was expecting a bollocking when I walked into his office.
“I can’t speak for them [Red Bull], how it is, but that’s obviously the perception looking at the history of how they do things.”
Additional reporting by Edd Straw and Oleg Karpov
George Russell, ART Grand Prix and Alexander Albon, DAMS
Photo by: FIA Formula 2
Previous article
Debate: Do you support an F1 qualifying shake-up?
Next article
Vettel: Ferrari facing key weeks to decide SF90 direction
About this article
| Series | Formula 1 |
| Drivers | Alex Albon , George Russell |
| Author | Scott Mitchell |
Why Verstappen isn't interested in the hype game
In a pre-season where Red Bull has been unusually quiet, Max Verstappen has also been guarded about the team's fortunes in 2021. Even after trying the RB16B for the first time at Silverstone, the Dutchman was careful to manage expectations
The pros and cons of F1's 2021 rule changes
In the strategy for grand prix racing's future, 2021 represents a significant step towards the goal of closer racing and a more level playing field. That's the theory behind the latest raft of changes, but will they have the desired effect?
What Red Bull is trying to hide with its RB16B launch
Red Bull made no secret of the fact its 2021 F1 car is an evolution of its predecessor, but in keeping the same foundations while hiding some tightly-guarded updates with its RB16B, the team aims to avoid suffering the same pitfalls of previous years
How Albon plans to fight his way out of Red Bull limbo
Alex Albon has faced the media for the first time since he lost his Red Bull drive at the end of 2020 and dropped out of a Formula 1 race seat altogether. He has a history of bouncing back from setbacks, so here's what he must do to rise again
Ranked! Carlin's greatest F1 graduates
Carlin has helped guide enough drivers to Formula 1 to fill out an entire grid, plus a handful of reserves, to create a remarkable alumni list. With Yuki Tsunoda set to join that group, Motorsport.com has ranked its graduates to grace the grand prix scene...
Why Alfa's 2021 launch says more about its 2022 plans
Alfa Romeo launched its C41 with a revised front nose, but there's little to suggest it will surge up the leaderboard in 2021. As the team frankly admits, it's putting its eggs in the basket labelled 2022 and hoping to hold the eighth place it earned last year
Why Gasly’s AlphaTauri haven is a blessing and a curse
Red Bull opted not to re-sign Pierre Gasly even before it decided to drop Alex Albon and so the Frenchman's Formula 1 journey will continue at AlphaTauri. This has positive and negative connotations for one of last season's star performers.
Eight things Red Bull must do to beat Mercedes in 2021
After seven years of defeat at the hands of Mercedes, Red Bull is as hungry as ever to secure a fifth world championship. But there are key challenges it must overcome in 2021 to switch from challenger to conqueror
