Share

Red Bull drop driver bombshell: Gasly out, Albon in

London - Thai Formula One driver Alexander Albon was promoted on Monday to race alongside Max Verstappen in the Red Bull team and has the rest of the season to make the move permanent.   

The 23-year-old - born in England of a Thai mother - is promoted from Red Bull's sister team Toro Rosso whilst Frenchman Pierre Gasly will go in the opposite direction.

Albon's first drive for Red Bull will be the Belgian Grand Prix on September 1.

"Alexander Albon is being promoted to Aston Martin Red Bull Racing to drive alongside Max Verstappen, while Pierre Gasly will return to the Red Bull sister team, Scuderia Toro Rosso," read the team statement.

"The Team will use the next nine races to evaluate Alex’s performance in order to make an informed decision as to who will drive alongside Max in 2020."

Albon - who was signed up to the Red Bull Junior Team in 2012 - has accrued 16 points in his maiden season in the championship with a best-placed sixth in the German Grand Prix.

Gasly, also 23, is in his second full season in Formula One - he competed in five Grand Prix in the 2017 campaign - and has garnered 63 points thus far this term with fourth in the British Grand Prix his best performance.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
32% - 1843 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1810 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1100 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 470 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 193 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
5% - 261 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE