Albon wants race win in 2020

Alex Albon

(GMM) Alex Albon says he wants to win a race in 2020.

The British-born Thai driver has one of the toughest assignments in Formula 1, as the highly rated 2020 title favorite Max Verstappen's teammate.

He said in Barcelona that he can tell that the paddock expects something special from Red Bull this year.

"I can also feel it in the factory. We think we can do something extraordinary in 2020," Albon is quoted by Speed Week.

Personally, though, the 23-year-old says he knows he must improve this year. While praised for a solid job after getting the call-up to the senior team mid last season, he is yet to stand on a podium.

"Sometimes I had to remind myself that I was still a rookie," he smiled.

"After the summer break, it didn't feel that way because the expectations were obviously higher. But I don't want to use any excuses. I want to get involved at the front this year."

And Albon said he is confident about his chances of doing that.

"I still haven't got everything out of myself. There are areas in which I have to continue to grow," he said.

His former Toro Rosso boss Franz Tost encourages Albon to take it step by step – especially with Verstappen across the garage.

"I'm sure it is sometimes frustrating, because Max is so fast and it might not be possible to beat him. But he should work in peace and in his own way in order to get close to Verstappen," he said.

"I always say that it takes three years for a driver to understand Formula 1 properly, and he is now in his second season," Tost added.

Albon does not disagree with that.

"I'm still learning," he admits. "We ended strongly in 2019 and I want to build on that. Ideally I want to win a race.

"But the most important thing is that after each race I can say that I couldn't have done it better or I have improved again. That's more important to me than a specific goal."