Red Bull have announced Alexander Albon will replace Pierre Gasly in the team from the Belgian Grand Prix.
The Thai rookie’s promotion means Gasly returns to Toro Rosso after 12 races with Red Bull.
The team says it will use the remaining nine races this season to evaluate Albon’s performance to make an informed decision as to who will drive alongside Max Verstappen in 2020.
Bring it on! 💪 @alex_albon to join Max from the #BelgianGP 👉 https://t.co/TLaNqHHChJ #givesyouwings pic.twitter.com/6RcMhslmHt
— Aston Martin Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) August 12, 2019
Albon sits 15th in the drivers standings, behind Toro Rosso teammate Daniil Kvyat and Gasly, but his progress during his first season in F1 has been strong, culminating in a career-best 6th place at last month’s German Grand Prix.
The move could suggest Kvyat’s hopes of a return to the main Red Bull team are over. He has more points than Albon, sitting ninth in the standings, and secured a surprise podium at the action-packed race at the Hockenheimring, but the Red Bull bosses seem more interested in assessing Albon’s potential.
Gasly sits sixth in the drivers championship, just five points ahead of McLaren’s Carlos Sainz. He’s yet to finish ahead of teammate Verstappen this season, and has rarely looked like challenging the Dutch driver, who has almost three times as many points.