Alex Albon wasn’t sure how he’d get on against Formula 1’s top drivers after his promotion to Red Bull earlier this year.
The London-born Thai driver was recently confirmed as a full-time driver for the Milton Keynes-based outfit next season after an impressive first seven races which have seen him even outscore his teammate Max Verstappen.
Asked again about the new of his 2020 seat, Albon, who just a year ago appeared set to race in Formula E after finishing third in the F2 championship, admits his rise has even taken him by surprise.
“It’s crazy really, I say [that] a lot, but I truly mean it when I say it,” he said via Motorsport Week in Brazil.
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“To get the call up originally after Hungary was quite a daunting prospect really, but I felt like I could do something, but to be honest the races that I’ve had I’ve been pretty happy with.
“Of course to get that final call to tell me I’m staying for next year feels really good, really good.”
Albon then reflected on the challenge which faced him upon joining Red Bull.
“[I was thinking] ‘how am I going to do, how am I going to fare against the big boys’ and all that kind of thing,” he revealed.
“And it was the same kind of thought process before the season even started.
“But because I already went through it in pre-season, it felt a lot more comfortable the second time, in Spa, let’s say,” the 23-year-old conceded.
“It’s [the] kind of that thing, it’s always a lot of thinking, but once you step in the car, put the helmet on it all goes away and you focus on your driving and all that [external] stuff dissipates.”