Racing driver Alexander Albon is fast becoming the pride of Thailand. The 23-year-old's recent contract with Italian Formula 1 team Toro Rosso makes him the first Thai F1 driver in 65 years, since Prince Birabongse Bhanudej Bhanubandh represented the Kingdom in 1954.
Born and raised in the UK by a Thai mother and British father, Albon started racing karts in 2005 at the age of eight, winning his first local championship. His successes in karting continued with several first place finishes between 2006 and 2010 throughout Britain and Europe at Cadet and then KF3 class. His record in this period was extremely impressive, never finishing outside the top three.
Albon successfully transitioned to Formula car racing, finishing 3rd in the 2014 Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup and 2nd in the 2016 GP3 Series. In 2018, Albon raced in the FIA Formula 2 Championship. His record of four wins, three pole positions and eight podiums meant that he was competing for the Driver's Championship in the final race of the season. He eventually finished 3rd overall.
Last month, for the first time, Albon took his place on the grid for the F1 World Championship at the 2019 Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne. He finished 14th out of 20 racers.
Albon spoke to Life about his remarkable rise.
Formula 1 racer Alexander Albon. Photos courtesy of Red Bull Thailand
You started racing at a very young age. How did you initially get into it?
It was my dad Nigel, who was also a racing driver. He was the one who gave me my first racing lesson. We had this big field right next to the farm where I grew up. My dad built a circuit for me to learn how to drive a go-kart.
What was your reaction when you heard that you were going to drive for Toro Rosso in 2019?
I remember we were in Abu Dhabi. It was the Monday after a race which had gone badly for me. I was in this shopping mall buying a pair of shoes when I got a call from Dr [Helmut] Marko, which turned out to be very good news. Of course, I was very excited because I've always been motorsport mad, ever since I was little. The first thing I did was call my mum.
How does it feel to be only the second driver to represent Thailand?
It's definitely a big deal for me. It's been a long time since there's been a Thai in F1. It is a huge honour to be given such an opportunity. I'm just hoping to make everyone proud.
What are some of the lessons you learned from your experiences in F2?
To be honest, 2017 was a very bad year for us. Rival teams were improving all the time and we struggled just to keep the pace. That was when I learned that life can have its ups and downs.
You became well-known for your overtaking manoeuvres. Are you confident you can bring your racing style to F1?
Yes, I am, although the way the cars are designed in F1 makes it hard to overtake. With the rule changes this year, though, I'm sure there will be some nice battles.
You recently posted a picture of your new helmet design on Twitter. Can you tell us about it?
I've got the number nine written in Thai on my helmet as a reference King Rama IX whom I greatly respected. The Thai flag is also written next to my name.
What is it like to live in Italy and work with an Italian team?
It's great. Italy is the pinnacle of motorsport. I still can't speak Italian that well after two years but I don't really speak to the team in Italian. I'll try and get better at it though. I love the food there and the passion of Italian people.
Who's your F1 idol?
Definitely Michael Schumacher. I was Schumacher mad, I'd say, from the every beginning. I remember, as a kid, I had a red bedroom and only wore red T-shirts, because red was his colour as a member of Ferrari.
Why did you choose 23 as your race number?
It's half of 46, which is the number of another one of my heroes, [MotoGP racer] Valentino Rossi. Part of the reason was that I didn't want to have the same number as him. This might sound a bit funny, but I feel that it's his number and I didn't want to step on his toes.
Albon drives the (23) Scuderia Toro Rosso STR14 Honda on track during a filming day in Misano Adriatico, Italy on February 13, 2019. Red Bull Thailand
