Alex Albon has been confirmed as Red Bull’s second driver for 2020, with Pierre Gasly staying at Toro Rosso.
The British-born Thai driver has made a big impression since joining the senior team at the Belgian Grand Prix, finishing in the top-six at every race and even out-scoring Max Verstappen in the process.
With the promise of only getting better with a full winter of preparation ahead then, that made retaining Albon a pretty easy decision for Red Bull.
“Alex has performed extremely well since his debut with the team in Belgium and his results – seven finishes in the top-six – speak for themselves,” team boss Christian Horner commented.
“It’s extremely hard to deny that level of consistency and in tandem with a growing reputation as a tenacious, fiercely committed racer, Alex has proved that he fully deserves to continue his progress with Aston Martin Red Bull Racing.
“There is plenty of potential still to unlock and we look forward to seeing Alex alongside Max in 2020.”
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The announcement completes an incredible rise for Albon in the past year after finishing third in F2 to earning a late promotion to F1 with Toro Rosso, having appeared set for a seat in Formula E.
Unsurprisingly, commenting on the news, the 23-year-old was thrilled.
“I am really excited to be partnering Max again for next year and I know how fortunate I am to be given this opportunity,” he said
“I’m hugely thankful that Red Bull have put their trust in me and believed in my results since I joined the team and for them to keep me in the car next year is a big deal.
“This year has been an incredible year for me and getting the call up to Red Bull mid-season was already a big step, so now I will use the learnings from this season and use the experience to improve and fight at the front in 2020.”
The news is slightly disappointing for Gasly, who has started this year in the seat alongside the Dutchman. But his performances have been steadily improving again since his return to the junior team.
“I’m delighted to retain Pierre and Daniil [Kvyat] for next season,” Toro Rosso chief Franz Tost said.
“Both drivers have shown really good performances this season and they have proven in their years in F1 to be very competitive, able to exploit the car’s potential and give valuable feedback to make improvements.
“This young but experienced duo, combined with hopefully a competitive car, will be the best factors to achieve a very successful season in 2020 and I’m looking forward to this extended cooperation.”