Alex Albon will compete for a new Red Bull-backed team in DTM at select races in 2021, it has been announced.
The Thai driver is facing a year at least on the sidelines of Formula 1, this after being replaced by Sergio Perez for this season and dropping to the role of reserve and test driver.
However, Red Bull has also promised to give Albon as many opportunities to drive as possible, and now he’ll team up with fellow junior Liam Lawson in the German touring car series, which moves from Class One to GT3 regulations from this year.
“The DTM with a high-class field and GT3 sports cars is an interesting platform and a real challenge, both for successful race drivers like Alex Albon as for our Red Bull junior driver Liam Lawson,” Red Bull advisor and head of their driver program Helmut Marko commented.
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According to the team, Albon will compete in DTM “whenever his F1 duties allow”, and currently the two calendars only have two or three weekends that will clash from the nine that are scheduled in DTM.
“Alex Albon is a young, ambitious driver and an outstanding gain for the DTM,” commented series boss, and former Toro Rosso co-owner, Gerhard Berger.
Currently, three manufacturers, Audi, Mercedes and McLaren, are confirmed on the grid for this season, while Albon and Lawson are the first drivers to be confirmed for 2021.
The first race of the DTM championship is scheduled for May 29 at the Igora Drive circuit in Russia.