Marko: Albon future decision due "before Christmas"
Red Bull motorsport chief Helmut Marko says that a decision on the second seat at the Formula 1 team alongside Max Verstappen will be taken before Christmas.

Incumbent Alex Albon, who is in competition for the drive with Sergio Perez, was given until the end of the season to prove his case.
Albon had a strong run from fifth on the grid to fourth at the flag in Abu Dhabi, and he finished just behind two seconds behind world champion Lewis Hamilton.
“It was one of his best races,” Marko told Motorsport.com. “Still, we will think it over and make our decision, before Christmas.
“We have to go through all the data. There are so many things we have to look at.”
RBR team boss Christian Horner confirmed the timing of the decision.
“We've always said that we'll go to the end of the year, and then make our decision at the end of the season,” said Horner.
“So Alex had probably his strongest race weekend actually this weekend, which is encouraging for him, but we now have a full picture of the season. And we'll make that decision in the coming days.
“Obviously we have a huge amount of data now. We have all the knowledge across the various circuits that we've done, and we'll sit down and obviously go through that and come to the right conclusion.”
Read Also:
Horner indicated that in Abu Dhabi Albon did what was required, which was to make like harder for Mercedes by ensuring that two Red Bulls were in the fight at the front of the field.
“It is certainly what we were expecting to see,” he said. “Because the only way that you can put Mercedes under pressure is if for example they had split their strategy we could have been very exposed. And certainly at the end of the race Alex was able to close on them.
“He obviously lost a bit of ground at the beginning of the stint after the safety car, once he was changed on to the same strategy to the end of the race. But I think Alex has driven a good race, and he's had a solid weekend.”
Related video

Previous article
Ten things we learned from the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Next article
Alonso plays down value of Abu Dhabi F1 test

About this article
Series | Formula 1 |
Drivers | Alex Albon |
Teams | Red Bull Racing |
Author | Adam Cooper |
Marko: Albon future decision due "before Christmas"
Trending
Is Red Bull Hiding the Real RB16B? | F1 2021
Sergio Perez's First Drive With Red Bull Racing
The pros and cons of F1's 2021 rule changes
In the strategy for grand prix racing's future, 2021 represents a significant step towards the goal of closer racing and a more level playing field. That's the theory behind the latest raft of changes, but will they have the desired effect?
What Red Bull is trying to hide with its RB16B launch
Red Bull made no secret of the fact its 2021 F1 car is an evolution of its predecessor, but in keeping the same foundations while hiding some tightly-guarded updates with its RB16B, the team aims to avoid suffering the same pitfalls of previous years
How Albon plans to fight his way out of Red Bull limbo
Alex Albon has faced the media for the first time since he lost his Red Bull drive at the end of 2020 and dropped out of a Formula 1 race seat altogether. He has a history of bouncing back from setbacks, so here's what he must do to rise again
Ranked! Carlin's greatest F1 graduates
Carlin has helped guide enough drivers to Formula 1 to fill out an entire grid, plus a handful of reserves, to create a remarkable alumni list. With Yuki Tsunoda set to join that group, Motorsport.com has ranked its graduates to grace the grand prix scene...
Why Alfa's 2021 launch says more about its 2022 plans
Alfa Romeo launched its C41 with a revised front nose, but there's little to suggest it will surge up the leaderboard in 2021. As the team frankly admits, it's putting its eggs in the basket labelled 2022 and hoping to hold the eighth place it earned last year
Why Gasly’s AlphaTauri haven is a blessing and a curse
Red Bull opted not to re-sign Pierre Gasly even before it decided to drop Alex Albon and so the Frenchman's Formula 1 journey will continue at AlphaTauri. This has positive and negative connotations for one of last season's star performers.
Eight things Red Bull must do to beat Mercedes in 2021
After seven years of defeat at the hands of Mercedes, Red Bull is as hungry as ever to secure a fifth world championship. But there are key challenges it must overcome in 2021 to switch from challenger to conqueror
How AlphaTauri has adapted to F1's new rules
AlphaTauri launched its AT02, complete with a new livery, as it bids to home in on an already-tight midfield battle. Although there were few outright new parts displayed on the launch render, there might be a few clues into further changes down the line…