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Albon really impressed Toro Rosso on F1 debut

Albon "really impressed" Toro Rosso on F1 debut

21-03-2019 18:30
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Bobby Vincent

Toro Rosso tecnhical director Jody Egginton has revealed debutant Alexander Albon "really impressed" the Italian team, describing his approach as "methodical" and "not emotional".

Albon's first experience in a Formula 1 car was only last month, with the teams having two weeks of pre-season testing in Barcelona.

The British-born Thai driver qualified in 13th-place for the Australian Grand Prix - ahead of the more-experienced team-mate Daniil Kvyat.

Albon went on to finish P14 in the race - despite his car suffering with brake overheating issues early on in the grand prix.

Despite Albon being way outside the points on his F1 debut - his team were very pleased with how he drove over the weekend, and his approach to the rather daunting first experience.

"He did a really solid job," Egginton said to Motorsport.com. "At the start of the race, he had to manage his brakes for a while, but he bounced back from that. He learned a lot in terms of tyre-management, and how to run the race.

"It's probably the first time he's experienced blue flags as well. He's done a tidy job and given a good account of himself, and at least as solid as some of the other rookies.

"He's good, he's methodical, he's not emotional, and he's learning so quickly. I'm really impressed so far. I'm sure we can carry on with that trajectory. He knows Bahrain, so I expect another step there."