Williams may have a problem with Albon regarding Red Bull

The end of the season is approaching little by little and the driver market, although quieter than in other seasons, remains active. The main focus —given that it is assumed that Mercedes will renew Russell and Antonelli— is on Red Bull.

And not only on who will be Max Verstappen's teammate in the main team, but also on who will drive for the junior team. In this sense, the one with the least chance of continuing is Yuki Tsunoda, who has not been able to deliver an acceptable performance with Red Bull Racing after four seasons with AlphaTauri/Racing Bulls.

Chalerm Yoovidhya, co-owner of Red Bull, is Thai and views positively the incorporation of a driver of his same nationality

Alex Albon enters the scene

On the other hand, Williams Racing has confirmed its drivers for the 2026 season: Carlos Sainz and Alexander Albon. The problem is that Helmut Marko wants to bring him back to Red Bull after the Thai has matured and proven his worth since leaving the energy drink's driver program.

For now, the only ones with guaranteed spots in one of the four Red Bull seats are Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar, although in the case of the Frenchman it is still not clear that he will be alongside the Dutchman in the main team.

For his part, Yuki Tsunoda has a very difficult time continuing, while Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad are waiting to see what happens with Hadjar, the Japanese or some other driver coming from outside.

According to Motorsport.com, Helmut Marko has kept in touch with Alexander Albon in recent weeks and the Thai is positively considering returning to Red Bull to make up for 2019 and 2020. However, this would only happen in 2026 if the Austrian firm compensates Williams financially, with whom the driver has a valid contract.

Another detail is that Chalerm Yoovidhya, co-owner of Red Bull, is Thai and views positively the incorporation of a driver of his same nationality, so he would not rule out making a financial commitment to achieve it. Something that, judging by the moves made by the 'spokesperson' of the Austrian faction, is shared by the other half of the shareholders.

The hurdle of Williams

Unfortunately for Red Bull, it is unlikely that this will happen in 2026, as James Vowles has been looking for a balanced and experienced driver pair for a long time. Letting Albon go would force Williams to place a young driver from their program (Victor Martins or Luke Browning) alongside Carlos Sainz, which is far from ideal given the arrival of the new regulations.

It would be more feasible for 2027, a time when many drivers on the current grid will finish their contracts and Williams will have options to find a reliable replacement for Alex Albon.

We will have to see how the situation evolves, but for now, the most likely scenario is that Isack Hadjar will accompany Max Verstappen in Red Bull in 2026, and that Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad will be the drivers of Racing Bulls.