Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has explained the factors which resulted in Alex Albon replacing Pierre Gasly from the Belgian GP.
A week ago, news came through that the Frenchman had been demoted back to Toro Rosso following a tough 12 races which had only seen Gasly beat teammate Max Verstappen once.
The decision to promote Albon, however, was a surprise but Marko admits he has been impressed by the progress the 23-year-old has made.
“I am optimistic that Albon is at the right level. Frankly, it came somewhat unexpectedly that he would perform well in his first year. In addition, he makes convincing strides with every race,” the Austrian told Japanese outlet Autosport Web.
“Since Alex’s contract only covers the last nine races and nothing has been decided yet about who will be Max’s teammate next year; Alex could race and grow without feeling extra pressure.”
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As for choosing Albon over Daniil Kvyat, the Red Bull chief stated: “I think Albon is better. We know the speed of Kvyat, we can say that he has become a more complete driver, however, based on all factors, we chose Alex.”
Reflecting back on Gasly’s disappointing six months at the senior team, Marko believes his problems can be dated back to pre-season when a pair of crashes knocked his confidence.
“That’s definitely true and even after the season began he was not able to erase it,” he said.
“Pierre until this year was fast, and there was no hesitation in overtaking during the race, however, the original speed has not come out at all this year.”