The reigning champions aim to secure a priority choice on the 27-year-old’s services, granting them the prerogative to bring him back for a span of three years commencing in 2026, as per Motorsport.

Should Albon acquiesce, he would reunite with Red Bull six years subsequent to his demotion, a consequence of perceived underperformance alongside Max Verstappen during an 18-month tenure.

This prospect signifies a remarkable reversal of fortunes for Albon, who would also reclaim the position he ceded to Sergio Perez, chosen as his replacement for the 2021 season.

READ: Adrian Newey to leave Red Bull if Christian Horner gets sacked

Following commendable stints with Williams in 2022 and 2023, Albon’s standing has soared to unprecedented heights.

Speculation regarding his future intensified following Lewis Hamilton’s unforeseen move to Ferrari for 2025, with Albon emerging as a potential contender to succeed the seven-time world champion at Mercedes.

Furthermore, there has been mounting conjecture about a potential resurgence with Red Bull, with certain reports even suggesting a multi-year contract offer from 2025 onwards.

However, these reports are purportedly inaccurate and have been dismissed by Williams team principal James Vowles as mere speculation.

READ: Christian Horner allegations intensify amid ‘power struggle’ with Helmut Marko

During Williams’ 2024 car launch, Vowles disclosed that Albon remains contractually bound to Williams until the culmination of the 2025 season.

The alleged first option proposal from Red Bull would honour Albon’s existing contractual commitments, affording him the opportunity to fulfil his tenure with Williams before rejoining the Milton Keynes-based outfit.

This offer implies Red Bull’s willingness to retain Perez, whose contract expires at year-end, for an additional season.

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Albon, a revered figure in the Formula 1 fraternity, is currently a highly sought-after talent and is being considered as a formidable replacement for the departing Lewis Hamilton, who is set to join Ferrari.

Having previously spent a year and a half with the Red Bull team between 2019 and 2020, Albon faced challenges in maintaining consistency during the latter part of his tenure.

His struggles led to Sergio Perez taking over the reins, as Albon relinquished his position to make room for the arrival of Sebastian Vettel at Racing Point.

READ: Lewis Hamilton warned about making Charles Leclerc his number two

Following a sabbatical in 2021, Albon made a triumphant return to the grid with Williams, where he meticulously reconstructed his reputation, emerging as the principal driver for the Grove-based outfit.

His stellar performance, including a comprehensive victory over Logan Sargeant in the 2023 qualifying skirmish and contributing to 27 out of the team’s 28 total points, has significantly elevated his standing in the sport.

Reports from Motorsport-Total suggest that Red Bull is keen on reintegrating Albon into their ranks, potentially as a successor to Perez.

The reigning champions have tabled a right-of-first-refusal proposition to the 27-year-old, affording them the opportunity to enlist his services for the 2026 campaign.

Although Albon is perceived as a compelling candidate to inherit Hamilton’s seat at Mercedes in 2025, his allegiance to Williams remains steadfast.

READ: Toto Wolff breaks silence on Ferrari relationship after Lewis Hamilton poaching

Speaking after the unveiling of Williams’ 2024 challenger in New York, Albon reiterated his commitment to the team, emphasising his belief in their upward trajectory and his aspirations for podium finishes and race victories.

Expressing his desire for a long-term association with Williams, Albon affirmed his dedication to the team, notwithstanding the allure of other opportunities in the driver market.

His unwavering focus on Williams underscores his conviction in their potential and his determination to propel the team to greater heights.

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It was confirmed on Thursday evening that Hamilton will be leaving Mercedes at the end of the 2024 season, to complete a switch to Ferrari after signing a “multi-year” contract.

The seven-time World Champion will replace Carlos Sainz, who is now without a seat for next year.

Mercedes also now have work to do ahead of 2025, as they need to find a suitable candidate to replace the 103-time race winner.

READ: Felipe Massa told he has ‘personal right’ to take Lewis Hamilton’s 2008 title

With there being several drivers out of contract at the conclusion of 2024, Mercedes has plenty of options in their search for a new teammate for George Russell

Carlos Sainz

The first – and perhaps most obvious – option is Sainz.

Sainz is a race winner and was the only non-Red Bull driver to be victorious in 2023, at the Singapore Grand Prix.

He is a very talented driver who was praised last year for his consistent results, something Mercedes will need in their new driver as Hamilton was very reliable.

Whilst Sainz perhaps doesn’t have the same raw pace as Hamilton or Russell, he has proven to be an excellent number two driver and could even surprise a few people without the pressure of the Tifosi.

Alex Albon

Alex Albon is another driver out of contract at the conclusion of 2024 and is on the wishlist of several teams.

Red Bull and Alpine have both been linked to the Thai driver; however, as he currently drivers for a customer Mercedes team – Williams – a move to Brackley could be on the cards.

At 27 years old, Albon is reaching the peak of his career performance-wise and has proven that he can lead a time.

He scored regular points for Williams in 2023 and was often in Q3, suggesting that in a Mercedes he could compete consistently for big points.

Fernando Alonso

If Mercedes simply want a short-term solution, then Fernando Alonso is arguably the right driver to sign.

The two-time World Champion is out of contract with Aston Martin at the end of 2024, and whilst he’s reportedly keen on staying with the Silverstone-based outfit, he’d likely be foolish to turn down team principal Toto Wolff.

Moving to Mercedes could be Alonso’s final chance at fighting for wins and potentially even a championship, especially if he were to enter the new power unit regulations with them in 2026.

Kimi Antonelli

Mercedes might be on the hunt for a short-term driver so they can allow the incredibly talented Kimi Antonelli to grow up a little.

READ: FIA to continue speaking to F1 amid Andretti rejection

Antonelli is a Mercedes junior driver and is only 17 years old, he’s also the reigning FRECA Champion and is jumping up to Formula 2 this year with PREMA Racing.

He is viewed as the next big thing and the biggest talent since Max Verstappen, so there is a chance that if he performs well in his debut F2 campaign, that Mercedes take a risk and put Antonelli straight into Hamilton’s seat.

McLaren got lucky in 2007 when they put Hamilton straight into the team after winning the 2006 GP2 title, perhaps Mercedes can do the same with Antonelli.

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Since returning to F1 with Williams in 2022, Albon has rapidly risen in value, something many never saw coming following his exit in 2020.

Albon’s F1 career looked like it could’ve been over at the end of the 2020 season, as Red Bull dropped him to their bench and signed Sergio Perez.

The Thai driver ended up racing in DTM the following season, before a move to Williams was arranged for 2022 after George Russell moved to Mercedes.

READ: Lewis Hamilton warned to stop crying ‘too much’

Since moving to Williams, Albon has improved dramatically as an F1 driver, to the extent that the biggest teams in the sport are now after him.

He’s become Williams’ leader and has been able to score consistent points in one of the weakest packages, a feat only the best drivers on the grid are capable of.

Albon is contracted until the end of 2024, meaning he could move on for 2025.

Williams have got a huge fight on their hands to retain him, as Audi are also reportedly interested in the 27-year-old for when they join the sport in 2026.

Ferrari is an interesting option, as Carlos Sainz’s deal expires at the conclusion of this year, whilst Charles Leclerc has a deal until the end of 2028.

Seeing Albon in red is a bizarre thought but equally intriguing, as he would give Leclerc a strong challenge.

Being back alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull might not be the best thing for him, given how no teammate has ever consistently matched him.

READ: Carlos Sainz handed blow as Pierre Gasly joins Audi’s wish list

Regardless of where he goes, Albon is arguably the most-wanted driver on the grid, highlighting just how much his career has changed since being demoted by Red Bull.

“Ferrari are understood to be one of the interested parties, while my sources say Red Bull engineers rate him highly,” Barretto wrote on the official F1 website.

“It’s quite the turnaround for the Thai driver, who had to fight to get back on the grid after being dropped by Red Bull in 2020.”

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Albon previously competed for Red Bull from mid-2019 to the conclusion of the 2020 season, after being promoted from the sister team to replace Pierre Gasly.

However, similarly to Gasly, Albon was dropped for not performing at a high enough level, with Max Verstappen having been clear of the Thai driver.

Whilst Gasly was demoted back to AlphaTauri, Albon was left without a seat on the F1 grid and instead spent 2021 racing in DTM.

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Of course, Albon returned to F1 in 2022 courtesy of a seat at Williams, where he replaced George Russell following his move to Mercedes.

Some wondered if Albon had the ability to lead Williams like Russell did, something he’s done significantly more than.

Albon has taken the Grove-based team back into the midfield, with him being a somewhat regular top 10 qualifier and finisher.

Williams claimed seventh in the Constructors’ Championship last season, almost entirely thanks to Albon’s performances.

In his first campaign with Williams in 2022, Albon cut all his ties with the Red Bull family, to primarily focus on the historic side.

However, Jordan thinks it’s now time that Red Bull try and fight to get Albon back to replace the driver that took his place, Sergio Perez.

Jordan believes that Albon “might be a big surprise” alongside Verstappen given that he’s now matured as a driver, putting him in a position where he could compete with the Dutchman more than Perez currently does.

“I have a real soft spot for Albon,” Jordan said on the Formula For Success podcast.

“I just think that given the right situations I think he could really, really be mustard.

READ: Bernie Ecclestone warns Lewis Hamilton

“I would like to see at some stage that he be given the chance alongside Max, because I think he might be a big surprise.”

After signing a multi-year extension in 2022, the general understanding is that Albon is contracted to Williams until the end of this year.

With Perez’s deal also being up at the end of 2024, theoretically, an unexpected return could happen.

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Norris and Verstappen are known to be very good friends and are often spotted together away from Formula 1, the duo have even previously admitted that they’d like to be team-mates in the future.

The McLaren star might think twice now about partnering the three-time World Champion, following his comical prank at the Yas Marina Circuit.

As the two drivers were preparing for the traditional track parade ahead last Sunday’s race, Verstappen went over to talk to Norris, before greeting him with a pat on the back.

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However, the pat on the back was done so that Verstappen could stick a Red Bull logo on the back of Norris’ McLaren shirt, something the 23-year-old was completely oblivious to.

TV cameras quickly picked up on what Verstappen was doing and showed the Red Bull logo on Norris.

It was a very light-hearted prank which summarises their relationship, which has led to many feeling confident that they’ll be Red Bull partners one day.

As Oscar Piastri is contracted to McLaren until the end of 2026, it’s more likely that Norris and Verstappen would be team-mates at Red Bull than the Woking-based outfit.

Red Bull have spoken to Norris before and are known to view him incredibly highly, leading to suggestions that the Brit could make the switch once his deal concludes at the end of 2025.

Theoretically, this could be possible, as Sergio Perez’s deal expires at the end of next year.

Red Bull could always give Perez or Daniel Ricciardo a one-year deal for 2025, which would open up a space for Norris in 2026.

One concern Norris might have about joining Red Bull is that all of Verstappen’s team-mates tend to buckle under the pressure of being alongside him.

READ: Alex Albon reveals Michael Schumacher tantrums

However, ex-Red Bull driver Alex Albon doesn’t think this will be the case for Norris if he switched to the Milton Keynes-based team, who supposedly have an “open” invitation for him.

“I think if he wants it, yes. But let’s see, because I think no one enjoys to be Max’s team-mates,” Albon told Sky Sports F1.

“It’s hard – I have experience with that. But if he’s confident in himself, which he should be – from what I hear, the invitation has been open for a while. It’s hard to say now, because just like I have with Williams, you can tell the relationship Lando has with McLaren is very strong, and for now it looks like there’s no reason to change.”

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Since Verstappen joined Red Bull at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix, he’s gone onto destroy and frustrate every teammate he’s ever had.

The first to crumble alongside Verstappen was Daniel Ricciardo, who opted to jump ship to Renault at the end of 2018.

Pierre Gasly was the next driver to buckle under the pressure of being alongside the three-time World Champion, with the Frenchman having been dropped by the Austrians after just six months.

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Albon was chosen to replace Gasly and was promoted from the sister team as a result.

Whilst Albon did perform better alongside Verstappen than Gasly did, the Williams driver still found himself out of the team after 18 months.

Sergio Perez replaced Albon for 2021, with the Mexican still in the seat today.

It’s very rare for so many high-level drivers to struggle so much in the same team, something which some have accused of being because Red Bull design their cars to suit Verstappen.

Albon has quashed these suggestions and has noted that Verstappen’s dominance is more because of how he has his car set-up, with his driving style taking how a car feels to a “whole different level”.

It’s well documented that the Dutch driver likes his car to have a sharp front-end; however, Albon admits that it’s like nothing he’s ever felt before.

“The first thing is a lot of people say that car is built around him. Truthfully… the car is what it is,” Albon told the High Performance Podcast.

“He has quite a unique driving style actually. It’s not that easy to get along with. My driving style is a bit more on the smooth side, but I like a car that has a good front end, so quite sharp, [and] quite direct. Max does too, but his level of sharp and direct is kind of another… it’s a whole different level.

READ: Alain Prost reacts to ‘negative’ Max Verstappen claim

“I don’t know if you guys play computer games at all, but if you bump up the sensitivity completely to the max and you move that mouse and it’s just darting across the screen everywhere… that’s kind of how it feels.

“It becomes so sharp that it makes you a little bit tense and it just starts to snowball and every time the car becomes sharper and sharper you start to become more tense.

“And I think it’s like any sport, if you start to not be in that flow state and you’re having to really think about it, and every time you go into a corner you don’t know how it’s going to react, you don’t have that kind of… well it’s purely the confidence in the car, the flow, it doesn’t work.”

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The Formula 1 legend is a hero to thousands of people across the globe, including the Thai driver.

Schumacher retired from F1 initially at the conclusion of the 2006 season, before he returned with Mercedes in 2010 before calling it a day again at the end of 2012.

12 months later, he suffered his horrific head injury, following an almost deadly skiing accident.

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Little is known of the German’s condition, in what remains as one of the saddest stories in modern sport.

Albon discussed his icon on a recent podcast appearance, where he revealed that he became a horror to live with them Schumacher failed to win.

Schumacher being victorious – something which happened 91 times – made Albon happy, to the extent that he used to put on a VHS of the 2001 F1 season when he was having a “bad day”, as watching the ex-Ferrari win made him happy.

The 2001 season was won by Schumacher, in what was his fourth title and his second consecutive for Ferrari.

“I was an obsessed kid when I was growing up, one of my first words was Ferrari, which I would call ‘rari’,” Albon told the High Performance Podcast.

“I was a massive Michael Schumacher fan, I used to throw the biggest tantrums as a kid if Michael didn’t win.

“My mum used to have a VHS of 2001 Formula 1 highlights review and I knew all of the races that he won that year so as soon as I would have an off or a bad day or whatever, that was straight on playing all of Michael’s wins.”

READ: Alain Prost reacts to ‘negative’ Max Verstappen claim

Whilst he failed to perform in Schumacher-esq fashion this year, Albon’s second season with Williams was certainly a success.

The ex-Red Bull driver led the Grove-based team superly in 2023 and is largely responsible for them having secured seventh in the Constructors’ Championship, something which is huge for them.

Whilst the last three rounds were disappointing for Albon, he secured seven top-10 finishes this year, enough to clinch 13th in the Drivers’ Championship.

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Albon has returned to his very best since moving to Williams and has become their team leader.

The British-born Thai driver was signed by Williams for 2022 to replace George Russell, who completed his move to Mercedes.

It was a move which Red Bull encouraged and worked hard to make a possibility, as it was because of them that Albon was without a drive.

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Albon spent 2021 on the sidelines and in the DTM series, after Red Bull demoted him to a reserve role and signed Sergio Perez.

At the time, Albon was simply viewed as another driver to have buckled under the pressure of being alongside Max Verstappen, a pressure he clearly struggled to deal with.

He spent around 18 months in the main Red Bull fold, after being promoted from Toro Rosso midway through the 2019 season to replace an underwhelming Pierre Gasly.

Whilst Albon initially showed promise, he failed to ever challenge the three-time World Champion.

When he was dropped for Perez, some pondered if it was the end of his F1 career; however, he’s refound himself at Williams.

He’s matured into an exceptional driver who could certainly do a super job back in a leading team, with him being a regular points finisher for Williams.

Albon no longer has any ties with Red Bull, although this hasn’t stopped Horner from admitting that he’s doing “brilliant”.

“Yeah, he’s brilliant,” Horner said, as reported by GPFans.com. “He’s fantastic and he did a fantastic job for us when he stepped down to be test driver.

“He never complained, he never moaned, he put in the hours, and I was really happy I was able to find him a seat in Williams and he’s found his form, he’s got the experience now, he’s toughened for sure and he’s a hot property again.”

Given how good Albon has become, some wonder whether Red Bull were wrong for dropping him at the end of 2020.

READ: Adrian Newey reveals what would make him quit Red Bull

Horner has since recognised that they promoted the Williams driver “too soon” but that they simply “needed somebody” to replace Gasly.

“I remember we were struggling at the time with Alex Albon,” he added. “Because he had come in too soon and we just needed somebody.

“Checo at the time at the end of ’20, he’d just won that race in Bahrain from the back of the grid, and it was like, ‘We need somebody with a chunk of experience, that brings another dimension to being Max’s team-mate’.”

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In his second season with Williams, Albon has performed brilliantly to the point that he’s helped the Grove-based team get into seventh in the Constructors’ Championship with two races remaining.

He’s very much the team’s leader, given that rookie Logan Sargeant has scored just one-point compared to Albon’s 27.

The British-born Thai driver is back to his best and looking strong, although he does admit that he’s been given a much better car this year.

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Albon stresses that the team itself is the “most important part of the equation”, something which is evident at McLaren.

The Williams driver notes how McLaren weren’t scoring any points in the first half of 2023 but are now suddenly second in the pecking order and securing podiums at virtually every round.

McLaren’s dramatic change in form happened at the Austrian Grand Prix, where the Woking-based squad introduced a huge upgrades package.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have driven excellently all year but it’s only since the team’s upgrades that this has really been recognised.

It does raise a question which has been asked from time to time; how much is a performance down to a driver and how much is down to the car?

“I’m definitely driving better than last year,” Albon told the French magazine Auto Hebdo, “simply because I have more experience and I’m more settled into the team.

“But obviously, in our sport, the team is the most important part of the equation. Look at McLaren. Lando (Norris) and Oscar (Piastri) are having a wonderful season, they’re driving so well, and yet they had almost no points at the start of the year.”

READ: Would Lewis Hamilton accept an offer from Red Bull?

Albon went onto recognise that Norris and Piastri having “changed drastically in themselves” this season, with them having simply gone from struggling to make Q2 to podium contenders “overnight”.

“They both found themselves in the top 3 overnight without having changed drastically in themselves,” Albon insisted.

“The car still has a huge influence on a driver’s perception in F1. And this is also the case for me.”

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