‘I want that seat back’ - Albon aims to return to F1 with Red Bull in 2022

Alex Albon has vowed to do everything he can in his attempts to try and win back a seat with Red Bull and return to the Formula 1 grid in 2022.

The 24-year-old British-Thai has been demoted to the team’s reserve driver and replaced by Sergio Perez as Max Verstappen’s teammate for the upcoming 2021 F1 season following a difficult 2020.

Albon admitted “it hurts” to be dropped by Red Bull but says he has been able to come to terms with the decision “very quickly” and is now focused on securing a drive with either Red Bull or AlphaTauri for next year.

“It was one of those things where there’s no point feeling sorry for yourself, you’ve got to get back into it and do as much as you can to get back,” Albon told selected media including Crash.net on Monday.

“My goal of course is to be back in a seat for next year and just be ready for this year as well - you need know what’s going to happen with fitness or with COVID around.

“So this winter has been kind of making sure I’m as ready as I can be, being as fit as I can, doing all the simulator stuff and even will hopefully get a few days where I can drive, do some tyre tests and things like that.”

Albon, who will race in the DTM this year alongside his Red Bull commitments, says he will use past experience of having to fight his way back into the Red Bull programme as inspiration for his attempted comeback.

“It’s not the first time [I’ve been dropped],” he explained. “But what I learned was, at the end of the day, how much do you want it? I want it more than I would say anyone on the grid, and with that comes a lot of determination and I won’t stop at any point.

“So for me it is just about putting my head down. I got through it before. I’ve been able to get to where I am because of all the hard work I have done. As I said, I want that seat back.

“There’s no secret that it was a difficult car and it was a difficult season for me last year so you just have to take it. My response is not so much thinking ‘why this and why that’, it’s more thinking ‘what can I do now to get back into it’ and fight for it.”

Asked whether he has been set any specific targets by Red Bull in order to return to F1, Albon replied: “No not really.

“On my side as I said I can’t control results outside of myself, so it will all be down to just being 100% in my job here which is being reserve driver and helping them with this year’s car, helping them with next year’s car. Just doing my side.”