Formula 1 News: Albon jetted into Thai earthquake for F1 talks

(GMM) Alex Albon jetted into his native country last week expecting only to support Thailand’s bid for a Formula 1 race.

Actually, he landed in the immediate aftermath of the catastrophic earthquake that so far has cost at least 3000 lives.

“It was like DEFCON 3,” the British-born Thai driver for Williams told Sky Deutschland. “Everyone was totally panicking.

“It was almost surreal because I had no mobile internet and could only see people panicking, but I didn’t know why. It was a bit scary.”

When he checked into his hotel, his alarm continued.

“There were cracks everywhere,” Albon revealed. “I was surprised that most of the buildings were still standing. It was quite frightening.”

Prior to the earthquake, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali had also travelled to Bangkok, where he – like Albon – met with Thai prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.

A memorandum of understanding about a debut race in 2028 was subsequently signed.

“We’re making progress,” 29-year-old Albon said, “even if nothing is finalized yet.

“But it’s really nice to see how seriously Thailand is taking this. They’re very committed. And I think they have a strong concept.

“I’ve gotten a rough overview of what they’re planning, and it looks good. What they’re putting together is pretty impressive.”