Bahrain Weekend Helped Overcome Early Anxieties over Formula 1 Return – Albon

Alexander Albon admitted that there he was feeling a little bit anxious when he made his FIA Formula 1 World Championship race return last March in Bahrain, but his nerves were soon settled when he was back behind the wheel.

Having sat out the 2021 season after Oracle Red Bull Racing opted to replace him alongside Max Verstappen with Sergio Pérez, Albon admitted his Bahrain weekend helped him relax back into Formula 1 and find again the confidence that had been lost during his previous stint in the sport.

Albon may have only scored points on three occasions during the 2022 season, but he felt his return year to the sport was his strongest so far of his career, but it was the Bahrain race weekend that was his ‘big turning point’ when it came to finding confidence and eliminating nerves.

“I feel like Bahrain was a real big turning point,” said Albon to Motorsport.com.  “Having a year away and having that kind of sense of a little bit of anxiousness where you just want to get out and get some good performances early into the season to settle the nerves.

“And I guess the inner. not doubts, but you want to overcome and be that better driver that you once were.

“In Bahrain coming into qualifying straight away we got into Q2 in the first session. And that was a really good start to the year. It meant a lot, firstly, after all the headaches of a year out of the sport.

“But to start off straight away, and really feel that the team is straight away behind you, very supportive with the result itself, because it was a very unexpected result at the time.

“It started the season off in a very good way. Straight away you have that confidence. And then you just build on it from there.”