It’s rare for someone on the grid to become the greatest Formula 1 driver in their country’s history – especially during their debut season – but that’s exactly what Alex Albon did in 2019.
Thanks to the eight points the Thai driver secured at the 2019 German Grand Prix, courtesy of his P6 finish, he surpassed the number of points that the only other Thai competitor, Prince Bira, managed over his entire career. Ever since, the now 30-year-old has been continuing to push Southeast Asian influence in F1.
The Williams driver has seen many ups and downs, but he’s never stopped pushing to reach the top of the sport. In honour of Alex Albon’s birthday, we take a dive into the racing heritage of his region and the influence he has had on motorsport there…
The Thai Trailblazer
Thailand, and Southeast Asia’s, longest chapter in their racing story belongs to Alex Albon – and it’s a story far from over. Albon races under the Thai flag, the country where his mother is from, while racing runs in the family as both his father and uncle have raced competitively before. As a car-obsessed child, Albon quickly found himself karting in England – and he made quite a name for himself.
Albon won countless karting championships, with Red Bull signing him to their junior programme at just 12 years old. Lando Norris even had a poster of Albon in his room when he was growing up, such was the reputation of the Thai prodigy. The switch to single seaters wasn’t easy for Albon, but he worked tirelessly to progress through the ranks alongside the likes of George Russell, Charles Leclerc, Norris, Nyck De Vries, and Nicholas Latifi to eventually graduate to F1 with Toro Rosso in 2018.
Albon impressed the Red Bull higher-ups during his 12 races with the sister team, earning a mid-season promotion to Red Bull, which resulted in a full-time drive in 2020. Despite having some struggles in the RB16, Albon made history in Mugello, becoming the first Thai driver to reach the podium thanks to some late, daring overtakes in Italy. Another podium followed in Bahrain, but it wasn’t quite enough to keep his seat in F1, and Albon was left with a reserve role for 2021.
Albon’s resilience has never been in doubt, and he bounced back in 2022, returning to the sport with Williams, establishing himself as a team leader and deserving member of the grid. Thailand now has a star driver to look up to once again, and with Albon looking to build on his P8 finish in the 2025 championship, there could be plenty more for the many Southeast Asian fans to celebrate in the coming seasons.
Drivers from the past…
Thailand’s other F1 driver, Birabongse Bhanudej Bhanubandh (better known as Prince Bira) was no slouch behind the wheel. He managed a P5 and two P4s during his 19 starts from 1950-1954, while also finding time to compete in four Summer Olympics in sailing and training RAF pilots in World War 2, all while remaining part of the Thai royal family.
There have been two other drivers from the Southeast Asian region to make it to Formula 1. Back in 2016, Indonesian Rio Haryanto drove for Manor for 12 races, while Malaysian Alex Yoong entered 18 Grands Prix from 2001-2002 with Minardi. Fairuz Fauzy drove five practice sessions as a test driver, but the Malaysian never started a race in F1.
There have also been two Southeast Asian constructors, albeit due to name and ownership changes. Lotus Racing (also called Team Lotus) were part of the 2010 and 2011 Constructors’ Championship, racing under a Malaysian flag thanks to their owner, Tony Fernandes. The Malaysian entrepreneur then acquired Caterham Cars, changing the constructors name for their 2012-2014 run in the sport.
…And present
Perhaps we are already seeing the impacts of having a Southeast Asian racing star, as there are Thai drivers in both feeder series in the road to F1. Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak graduated to Formula 2 with ART this year, achieving two points finishes in his first two races in Melbourne. The Bangkok native even named Albon as his racing hero, having watched the Williams driver progress through GP3 and F2 while Inthraphuvasak was growing up.
Nandhavud “Jem” Bhirombhakdi is another Bangkok native looking to make it in the motorsport world, with the 19-year-old currently racing for Dams in Formula 3.
Meanwhile, Filipina driver Bianca Bustamante achieved two victories and five podiums during her time in F1 ACADEMY, before moving on to the GB3 Championship and Eurocup-3. With plenty more drivers throughout different racing series, the future of Southeast Asian motorsport looks to be in a good place.
The home race (almost)
There is one race which is always loudest for Albon, with Singapore the sole Southeast Asian country hosting an event, having joined the calendar back in 2008 – and Albon looks forward to it every year. Speaking on Drive to Survive, Albon said: “I’m from Thailand so I consider Singapore my home race – we are kind of like one big family in Southeast Asia.”
The Williams man is a bit of a hero in Singapore, with events attracting thousands of fans looking to meet him. It isn’t hard to tell how much the region means to Albon, who has produced two special helmets for the 2022 and 2025 Singapore races, auctioning both off to raise money for the Wat Sakraeo Orphanage and UNICEF Thailand.
