David Coulthard recalled an episode where he was caught by surprise upon seeing Jos Verstappen, father of four-time Formula 1 champion Max, praise Alexander Albon’s talent.
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The Thai-British driver raced for a season and a half alongside the Dutchman before being dismissed from Red Bull. Eventually, he found a spot at Williams and settled there, despite the difficult 2026 season he has faced with the new regulations.
During a conversation, Jos took the opportunity to highlight Alex’s exceptional talent in karting. The comment even surprised Coulthard at the time. “I’ll share something with you. I had dinner with Mark Webber, Martin Brundle, Jos Verstappen, and Raymond Vermeulen, who is Max’s manager. I mention this group because we were talking about drivers and karting, and Jos said: ‘Alex Albon, in karting, was the greatest of all time (GOAT)’,” he said on the Up To Speed podcast.
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“I reacted by saying: ‘Seriously?’ And he replied: ‘That kid in karting was unbelievable.’ Jos is usually quite reserved about opinions, except, obviously, when it comes to Max and the focus on him,” he continued.
“But what really struck me was thinking: well, they were totally immersed in karting and, if Alex stood out so much, then watch out when Williams gives him a car he can really drive freely. Then he will be able to show those karting genius skills he has demonstrated since early on,” he concluded.
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