Albon, who joined Williams in 2022 and has since led the team’s charge, is being linked to a return to Red Bull. According to Formule1.NL, Thai ownership ‘would love’ to sign Albon and bring him back to Milton Keynes. Chalem Yoovidhya, who owns 49 per cent of the team, has a good relationship with his ‘fellow compatriot’.

F1 legend Juan Pablo Montoya has warned that Red Bull could face a long road back to the top, suggesting it may take up to four years for the team to recover their dominance. Max Verstappen has won four consecutive drivers’ titles, enjoying the most dominant season in the sport’s history in 2024, winning 19 of 22 races.

Martin Brundle has put Red Bull on notice: they may yet lose Max Verstappen, not for next year, but for the year after. Verstappen himself closed the door on a potential departure from Red Bull, and