Williams boss admits Albon keeps Red Bull sponsorship next year
Sep.26 - Alex Albon will wear Red Bull branding on his helmet next year, Williams boss Jost Capito has admitted.
Prior to the Red Bull reserve driver signing to drive for Williams in 2022, the boss of the team's engine supplier - Mercedes' Toto Wolff - expressed concerns about Albon's Red Bull links.
Ultimately, however, while confidentiality clauses were worked into the deal and Albon's direct ties to Red Bull and AlphaTauri will be halted next year, the British-born Thai driver remains a member of the Red Bull family.
Christian Horner, for instance, is not ruling out a return to one of Red Bull's teams for 25-year-old Albon in 2023.
"I don't want to talk about the details of the contract," said Capito, when asked at Sochi if Williams might really lose Albon after just one season.
"The only thing I can say is that he will be an official Williams driver with no contract with Red Bull.
"He does have a contract with the Thai division of Red Bull, which has been his personal sponsor throughout his career. He has the right to have personal sponsors," Capito insists.
Meanwhile, he thinks Albon will only be released to start work at Williams once the 2021 season is over.
"He's working a lot in their (Red Bull's) simulator before the races," said Capito.
"His contract with us begins in January, but we'll discuss it with Red Bull and see if they will let him go after the final race of the season."
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What matters is he'll be 100% Williams driver, not on loan.
This means he's effectively out of Red Bull anyway.
Sainz was merely on loan at Renault, so Albon's situation is different.
Furthermore, Capito didn't say he would definitely have a Red Bull logo on his helmet.
hes on a 1 yr deal , for 23 RB have an option on him to replace SP , Red Bull will be on his suit or Helmet, why else would they pay him?
People should essentially think about such things.
If Sainz's RBR chance diminished despite only being on loan, Albon's even more since he won't be a loan driver.
Williams isn't a Red Bull-owned and subsequently controlled team, after all, like Alpha Tauri.
Jere, hang on, am I misreading the fact that Jos Capito clearly states that Albon will have Red Bull branding on his crash helmet next year?
No, he doesn't. Nothing direct. He's merely said that as a possibility, not a definite given.
We shall wait and find out for pre-season testing if he has any RB reference on his helmet.
His point is about another RB division as his 'personal' sponsor, separate from the F1 team.
This article gives a clearer picture of this matter:
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/capito-albon-arrival-red-bull-williams-connection/6674192/?nrt=54
Max has car next and jumbo, plus mayb others on his helmet as personal sponsors , AA will have the same aka RB,Thai redbull pay him cash so they'll want there name on his helmet, its not rocket science, why is this such an issue anyway?
Probably because people easily misinterpret things.
Other drivers have also (had) certain logos on their helmets or elsewhere no one else had. For example, Sainz has Estrella Galicia, Hulkenberg Dekra until 2018, Bottas used to have Kemppi, etc. This case isn't any different from others.
It's different in that red bull is a racing team and engine builder in it's own right, it'll be paying Albon who uses a mercedes engine.
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