British-Thai racer Alexander Albon recorded his first points finish in Formula 1 as he benefitted from Renault F1 Team’s double retirement in the closing stages of the 2019 Bahrain Grand Prix.
Starting from twelfth on the grid, the Scuderia Toro Rosso driver had a slow start to the race as he lost out in the first corner.
“That was a busy race – I felt like I was always fighting with someone at some point, there was always something to do!” said Albon after the race.
“I didn’t have the best start as I was a bit shy into the first corner, but after that, I put my head down and got on with it.”
Running midfield throughout most of the race it looked like Albon was set for a eleventh place finish until four laps from the end of the race when the two Renault’s retired from the race, promoting him in to the points in his second Grand Prix.
‘We had a good strategy and decent pace on the prime tyre. In the end, we got a bit lucky with the retirements, but I’ll take it!”
“It was so tricky with the wind out there and it made the car unpredictable, but we were quite strong in the race, it’s just a shame about the start.
Along with battling with the wind, Albon explained the difficulty faced by the drivers in the heat of Bahrain as they attempted to overtake their rivals.
“It was a challenge to overtake because when you get close to another car the tyres overheat and you get a bit stuck.
“However, I enjoyed myself out there and it was good to get that experience. I’m very happy to pick up my first points in Formula 1 and I hope we can carry this pace into China.”
