Red Bull promotes Albon for the next chapter of a Hollywood story

Alexander Albon’s whirlwind 18 months in which he’s both a begged for a seat and turned his back on a manufacturer drive, has culminated in a promotion to one of Formula 1’s elite teams just 12 races into his F1 career.

Peter Fox (Getty)

Albon will replace the struggling Pierre Gasly at Red Bull from the Belgian Grand Prix onwards. Gasly, who has failed to score a podium in his 12 races since being promoted to Red Bull, will return to Toro Rosso in a straight seat swap.

The circumstances by which Albon has found himself in this position are remarkable. Hollywood take note, depending on how the next few months and years go, you could have a blockbuster retelling on your hands.

The winners and losers of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix lottery

2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix analysis

The 2017 Azerbaijan Grand Prix was a modern classic. It had elements of soap opera, late-braking bravery, inter and intra-team anguish and plenty of unexpected heroes. The ’18 edition of the race was, as a result, in danger of being over-hyped.

In the end, the race lived up to the blockbuster billing with a finale that would have earned a ‘fresh’ rating from Rotten Tomatoes.

Image Credit: Octane Photos

Sainz faces battle to avoid JEV syndrome

Being a part of the Red Bull driver programme is seen by many as the holy grail for young single-seater stars of the future. While the guidance of Dr Helmut Marko has proved crucial to both Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo, Marko’s School of Hard Knocks has ended many F1 careers prematurely. Daniil Kvyat’s recent demotion from Red Bull to Toro Rosso could eventually see the Russian added to the list of drivers axed from the programme at the final hurdle.

One element of the Verstappen and Kvyat seat switch which has been missed by many is the indirect effect it could have on Carlos Sainz Jr’s career. The Spaniard has been overlooked by the senior team on this occasion and as Jean Eric Vergne will testify, that doesn’t bode well.

Image Credit: Dave Wilson (via Flickr) [CC-BY-NC-ND-2.0]

 

Why Kvyat’s demotion is all about Verstappen

Red Bull Racing know how to drop a bombshell. News that Sebastian Vettel was set to leave the team at the end of 2014 and be replaced by youngster Daniil Kvyat, certainly came as a surprise. The announcement that 18 year-old wonder-kid Max Verstappen is to replace Kvyat in the Red Bull senior outfit with immediate effect broke on Thursday morning, delivering an even greater level of surprise.

With Kvyat moving back to Toro Rosso – the junior squad in the unique Red Bull structure – some have deemed this as a demotion for the Russian. However, the story is as much about the excellence and market value of Red Bull’s teenage superstar.

Image Credit: Mike Boudreaux (via Flickr) [CC-BY-NC-ND-2.0]

Renault Rebrand Hinted For STR

As one of the most recognisable brands in the world, Red Bull are accustomed to building bridges with business partners, but over the past few months, relations between them and their F1 engine supplier Renault have become fractious. With the engine manufacturer’s future in the sport being a debate topic, it seems that Red Bull are looking to smooth over the cracks, with Dr Helmut Marko suggesting that Toro Rosso’s livery could be an area in which Renault can receive improved exposure. In other words, get more ‘bang’ for their F1 ‘buck’