'Verstappen doesn't need to be political'

After just half a year at Toro Rosso, Albon got the chance to step in at Red Bull Racing. The Thai driver became the replacement for Pierre Gasly who had disappointed in half a year as Max's teammate. Alex would eventually get a year and a half at Red Bull, only to be pushed aside for Perez. When asked what makes Verstappen so difficult, he is very clear.

Struggle with Verstappen

"It's a weird comparison to make, but if anyone watches MotoGP, think of Marc Marquez. He (Max) has a very specific driving style that works for him and is is quick, but it's not the easiest to follow and if that guy is doing well, then there's no reason for the team to deviate to something else," the Thai said in the Formula One podcast.

According to Albon, Verstappen's main desire is to have a strong front end. Albon says that over the years he was always the one in the team who wanted the most grip from the front, but Max is a step more extreme and is therefore impossible for Albon to follow. The Thai now drives at Williams and is again the driver there who is pushing for a strong front end.

Perez also struggles

In his year on the side, however, Albon saw that he is not the only one struggling with Verstappen as a teammate. Indeed, Perez is also struggling (still) with his teammate. ''You can't feel great as a teammate, even Checo found that out. Checo is doing a great job, but Max is hard for others to follow.''

Whereas drivers like Fernando Alonso and Michael Schumacher have been accused of political games within the team in the past, there is no question of that in Verstappen's case. ''Not at all. He has a lot of self-confidence and he is in a position where he doesn't need to be political, he does the talking on the track. People see him as arrogant, but I don't think so at all. I think he is very determined, very hungry and he is sure of himself," concludes the Williams driver.