Alex Albon tells F1 fans that one of his rival drivers is completely ‘misunderstood’

Follow us on Google Discover

Alex Albon has described one of his former F1 teammates as someone who is completely different off-track from what fans see.

Albon has always been a vocal member of the F1 grid, throwing his opinion into discussions about some of the best drivers on the grid.

Albon pinpointed why Fernando Alonso and Max Verstappen are ‘the best’, identifying a key trait of theirs which can be attributed as one of the reasons why they are multiple world champions in the pinnacle of motorsport.

Albon spent a season and a half alongside Verstappen at Red Bull, beginning halfway through the 2019 season. The Thai driver struggled massively to get to grips with Red Bull’s car during his tenure, comparing Verstappen’s optimal driving style for the team to that in Call of Duty.

READ MORE: Williams star Alex Albon’s life outside F1 with net worth, girlfriend to parents

Alex Albon describes Red Bull’s Max Verstappen as the ‘most misunderstood’ driver on the F1 grid

Speaking in a YouTube video by Red Bull, celebrating Verstappen’s 200th Grand Prix with Red Bull, Albon was asked for his opinion on the Dutchman’s journey to world champion in F1, stating, “I think Max is possibly the most misunderstood driver on the grid.

“Maybe that’s because he doesn’t like to do all this kind of stuff, which I don’t blame him for.”

Verstappen’s mischaracterisation has been alluded to recently. After filming a promotional video for Ford with him, Chris Harris noted what’s bizarre about Verstappen, stating that UK fans’ perception of him is ‘wrong’ and that ‘frankly, he’s one of us’.

The 27-year-old’s image in F1 has often been portrayed as a hot-headed, aggressive driver who doesn’t agree on leaving space in wheel-to-wheel battles on track. Despite this, off the track, many drivers on the grid only have good things to say about Verstappen.

READ MORE: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend

Gabriel Bortoleto and Isack Hadjar note how Max Verstappen is ‘willing to help’

Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto and Racing Bull’s Isack Hadjar joined Albon in the sentiment that Verstappen is ‘misunderstood’, revealing how helpful the four-time world champion has been in both of their rookie seasons.

After being asked the same question as Albon, Hadjar replied, “If I have any requests, any advice, I want to receive any questions. He’s here and he’s very open.”

Bortoleto echoed this in his answer, saying, “Maybe he doesn’t show this to the cameras, or people don’t actually see how great of a person he is and how good of a heart he has for young people and how much he’s willing to help.”

Jos Verstappen isn’t happy with some F1 fans’ opinion on Max, blaming the current landscape of social media for how poorly his son is portrayed. Verstappen Sr notes how he is seen as a ‘jerk or something’, to which Jos doesn’t recognise ‘at all’ in his son.