Ferrari target Alex Albon has been voted as the ‘most underrated driver in F1’ by Express Sport readers after putting together a sensational season for Williams. The Thai-British racer scored all but one of his team’s 28-point haul in 2023 as they pipped AlphaTauri to seventh in the Constructors’ Championship standings.
Albon was tipped as Ferrari’s primary target should either Charles Leclerc or Carlos Sainz opt against renewing their contracts beyond the 2024 season, although that deal is now up in the air with both men currently undergoing contract talks with the Italian constructor.
Discussing the interest from the Scuderia earlier this season, Albon admitted that he was flattered by the intrigue, telling Motorsport-Total: “Good rumours are always nice. I think it just underscores that the year has been going well so far. I’m just happy to hear those things. Of course, it’s just rumours, but I’m not complaining.”
In a survey of 7,471 Express Sport readers, 55 per cent believed Albon to be the most underrated driver on the current grid from the options available. As well as claiming 27 of his team’s points in 2023, the 27-year-old outqualified team-mate Logan Sargeant 22-0 in the head-to-head battle, completing the first F1 whitewash since Max Verstappen in 2020.
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The second most popular selection was Pierre Gasly, who enjoyed a stellar maiden campaign with Alpine after making the switch from AlphaTauri last winter. The Frenchman narrowly missed out on a top-ten finish in the Drivers’ Championship standings but was voted as the most underrated current F1 driver by 20 per cent of the surveyed readers.
His Alpine team-mate Esteban Ocon was third in the voting order, picking up 15 per cent of the voter share after another solid season. The 27-year-old finished two points behind his colleague but showed plenty of pace throughout, including during a stellar weekend in Monaco that saw him stand on the podium.
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Fourth and last in the poll was Lance Stroll, who attracted 10 per cent of the vote following a turbulent 2023 campaign.
The Canadian started the year with credit in the bank after completing an inspiring recovery from injury to drive and impress in Bahrain, but a tough middle portion of the year saw him end the season 132 points behind Fernando Alonso.
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