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Missed opportunity Red Bull: "They'd be worried about Alonso and Verstappen."
- GPblog.com
The seat next to Max Verstappen is possibly the most difficult in Formula 1. Pierre Gasly went down last year next to the Dutchman and this year it happens to Alexander Albon. According to Jolyon Palmer, Albon hasn't shown what he should be showing for a year now and in the meantime Gasly is shining at AlphaTauri.
Albon vs Gasly
Since the switch between Albon and Gasly things have gone a lot better for the Frenchman. He shines weekly at AlphaTauri and is better than his teammate Danill Kvyat, also a former Red Bull rider. Meanwhile, Albon is struggling with his new role as Red Bull's main team. That's what Palmer says in his column at the BBC.
"Since Albon's impressive debut at Spa last year, he hasn't shown what can be done in a way they like at Red Bull. The podium that Gasly achieved in Brazil last year should have been Albon's breakthrough but a collision with Hamilton did not make it".
Part of the responsibility for Albon's inferior results lies with Red Bull, according to Palmer, although they do protect their rider in words: "At Red Bull they say the right things but they don't help him with his strategy. In the last three races Albon finished with a different strategy than all the other drivers while at Red Bull they are able to make very good choices when it comes to tactics".
Alonso would have been a good choice
What Red Bull has to do is difficult according to the former Formula 1 driver although he thinks they have missed an opportunity. "Verstappen-Alonso as a line up would have made Mercedes more worried next year". However, Alonso opted for Renault and at Red Bull they stick to Albon for the time being, although it seems that the British-Thai Verstappen can not help in the fight with Mercedes for the time being.