Max Verstappen used to open FIFA Packs before qualifying

Alex Albon recently announced a new deal with Williams Racing.

Alex Albon’s Formula 1 career has been one full of commitment and incredible hard work, after being forced to sit out the 2021 season and race elsewhere.

Albon joined the championship with Scuderia AlphaTauri in 2019, before quickly being promoted to Red Bull Racing halfway through the year to replace Pierre Gasly, who went back to AlphaTauri.

Albon joined Max Verstappen at the Austrian team, with the latter having joined Red Bull in similar fashion in 2016, after replacing Daniil Kvyat early in the season.

The Thai driver spent 18 months as a Red Bull driver, before being replaced by Sergio Pérez for 2021, following a run of bad performances.

Alex Albon and Christian Horner in 2019 - Formula1news.co.uk

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It left Albon without a seat in F1 for 2021, resulting in a year’s hiatus from the championship.

Instead, the Williams Racing driver spent the season racing in DTM, something completely different to him.

Albon got his deserved return to F1 this year with Williams, where he has performed considerably better than team-mate Nicholas Latifi.

However, whilst featuring on a recent episode of The MotorMouth Podcast, Albon discussed his time racing alongside the reigning World Champion.

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Albon revealed what Verstappen is really like, whilst also explaining how he used to find the Dutchman playing video-game FIFA before a session.

“I would say he is the most gifted driver I have ever driven alongside,” Albon admitted.

“It’s difficult to compare your teammates, but he drives like he talks; there’s no room for politics. He is very straightforward and very relaxed. People don’t really know that side of him, but he’s so relaxed that I almost think, ‘I wish I was that relaxed’.”

According to Albon, Verstappen’s driving skills are “unbelievable”, whilst explaining how “precise” the championship leader is.

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“It’s also the way he handles the car. He is very precise. What he wants in a car is very different from what most drivers want. He wants a car that is so sharp in the corner; it’s unbelievable.”

This point was questioned on the podcast, with Verstappen’s steering usually looking so smooth; however, Albon was quick to explain that “it’s not. I can tell you that that car is extremely sharp.”

Albon concluded, “I’ve always been known as a driver who likes a lot of front gripping, to control the car precisely. And then this guy comes in. He makes it look like I’m driving a bus.”