Alexander Albon hopes his experience of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya can motivate him to achieve a strong result at this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix.
The Thai driver just missed out on the points at the last race in Baku in a car he felt deserved more than what he got.
However, on a track where the twenty-three-year old has finished in the top eight at every race in the lower categories including his win in the 2016 GP3 Series, Albon stands a solid chance of keeping that record going.
“Of the whole Formula 1 calendar, Barcelona is the track I’ve raced on the most in various categories,” Albon said.
“It’s a popular race venue in the junior formulas. Last year, in F2, I qualified on pole and it’s a track I enjoyed. Also, I have the experience of this year’s winter testing, which will be a big help. I am looking forward to seeing how different it feels from February to now.”
The Red Bull Toro Rosso Honda driver currently sits fifteenth in the Drivers’ Championship with three points, two ahead of his more experienced team-mate Daniil Kvyat.
With new upgrades being brought to this weekend’s race, Albon’s pace in winter testing should give the Italian team the boost required to close the gap to the midfield teams in the Constructors Championship in ninth, four points behind their nearest rivals Haas F1 Team.
“At that first test, I really didn’t know what to expect,” Albon added. “Going on with our rolling development plan, we’re bringing a few updates on the car to this race as well and I’m really excited about that – our aim is to be consistently in the top ten! We were strong in Barcelona during the winter test, so I hope we can keep that momentum.
“In Baku we had an update from Honda, which seemed to make a difference in race trim, so I am keen to see how that helps our performance in Spain. The midfield will still be very tight and it’s going to be a very interesting weekend.
“Plus, it will be nice to have some races in Europe now, with less travelling time to home. I think I’ve been at home for five days since the start of the season!”
