Jenson Button believes winless F1 driver received ‘very good offers’ to leave his current team amid Red Bull interest

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The Formula 1 driver market is always one of the most fascinating storylines away from the track each season.

This year, Max Verstappen’s potential move to Mercedes is dominating headlines, leaving Red Bull in a potentially dire situation.

It could force George Russell to try his luck in the driver market, and leave Red Bull team principal Christian Horner desperately searching for a new star.

There are several drivers, both on and off the grid, who you would imagine would be interested in potentially replacing Verstappen.

However, nobody has come out and declared they would be keen on taking the four-time drivers’ champion’s seat just yet.

Jenson Button has been speaking about his old team, Williams, and their rapid improvement over the past few months.

He’s been left seriously impressed by the development of Alex Albon and believes his commitment to the Williams project has seen him turn down offers from elsewhere in the paddock.

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

Jenson Button says Alex Albon turned down ‘very good offers’ to leave Williams

Button was taking part in an interview with The Athletic and was discussing what he had seen behind the scenes at the team that gave him his Formula 1 debut.

He explained: “It doesn’t just take one man, obviously, (or) one woman. It’s a group of people.

“I think there’s a lot of very talented people here. Some of them really needed a bit of help in direction.

“And I think having Alex Albon as a team leader is key as well.

“I know he had a lot of very good offers, but he felt that this is the team that could give him what he wants in the future.

“It’s not about tomorrow. It’s about new regulations, 2026, and fighting for the world championship after that.”

Red Bull were interested in re-signing Albon for this season when it became clear that Sergio Perez needed to be moved on.

However, as Button suggested, that move didn’t appear to appeal to the Thai driver, who has already suffered alongside Verstappen earlier in his career.

Albon is currently the highest-scoring driver outside of the top four teams in the drivers’ championship.

Williams have a major issue to fix after suffering from a worrying number of reliability issues in the past few races that have hampered the 29-year-old’s progress.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Jenson Button from fairy tale 2009 world championship to net worth

Alex Albon makes Red Bull claim amid Yuki Tsunoda’s struggles

Given the stability of McLaren’s driver line-up, the excitement at Ferrari surrounding Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, and Toto Wolff’s desire to promote Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Albon’s most likely best offer would have almost certainly come from Red Bull.

The Thai driver took part in 26 Grand Prix for Red Bull, securing two podium finishes and a best qualifying of fourth.

It wasn’t enough to retain his seat, with Sergio Perez claiming Horner took a dig at Albon when he signed for the team in 2020.

However, in the midst of Perez, Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda all struggling over the past 12 months, it’s hard not to believe that Albon would do a better job if offered the chance.

Albon believes he could ‘get around’ Red Bull’s issues now as a more experienced driver, but he may have made the right choice staying where he is.

Williams are fully prepared for 2026 and could be a force to be reckoned with next season.