How did Alex Albon Get into Formula 1?

Discover how Alex went from karting at eight years old to making his mark on the F1 grid

Published

13 AUG 2026

Est. reading time

3 min

Ever wondered how Alex Albon made his way to the Formula 1 grid? From his early days in karting to climbing through the junior single-seater championships, Albono's journey has seen him race alongside some of motorsport's biggest names, collect wins and podiums, and ultimately earn his place in F1.

Here's a look back at the key steps that took him from karting to the grid.

2005 - 2011: Karting

Alex began racing karts competitively in 2005 at the age of 8, and quickly established himself as a promising young driver.

His early success included winning the Super 1 National Honda Cadet Championship in 2006, before moving into KF3 in 2008. He won the Formula Kart Stars and Super 1 National KF3 Championships in 2009, followed by the CIK-FIA KF3 European Championship and World Cup in 2010.

In 2011, Albon stepped up to KF1 and finished runner up in both the WSK Euro Series and CIK-FIA World Championship, putting him firmly among the leading young karters at this time.

2012 - 2014: Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0

Albono made the move from karting to single-seaters in 2012, joining EPIC Racing in the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0. His first season proved challenging and he ultimately finished 38th without scoring a point.

He returned to the same championship with KTR in 2013, improving to 16th with 22 points and taking his first Eurocup pole position and fastest lap at the Red Bull Ring. In 2014, he took another major step forward, finishing third in the championship with 117 points.

The three year progression from 38th to 3rd showed just how quickly Albon was developing as a driver in junior single-seaters.

2015: European Formula 3

The next step was the FIA European Formula 3 Championship, where Alex raced for Signature.

He finished seventh in the championship with 187 points, 5 podiums, 4 victories, and 2 pole positions.

It was another important year of development, keeping his career moving towards the top of the junior ladder.

2016: GP3

Alex joined ART Grand Prix for the 2016 GP3 Series, where he became teammates with fellow future F1 driver Charles Leclerc.

This proved to be his breakthrough season. Albon took 4 victories and 7 podiums, finishing 2nd in the championship with 177 points, just behind Leclerc.

The achievements and results earned him a move into Formula 2 for 2017.

2017 - 2018: Formula 2

The Thai driver stepped up to the FIA Formula 2 Championship with ART Grand Prix in 2017. His rookie campaign was challenging, with Albono finishing 10th in the championship with 86 points. He also missed the Baku round after breaking his collarbone in a mountain bike accident.

He moved to DAMS for 2018 which proved to be a major turning point. Alex took 4 wins and 8 podiums, emerging as a championship contender but finishing 3rd with 212 points, behind George Russell and Lando Norris.

His impressive turnaround put him firmly back on the F1 radar, setting the stage for his move onto the Formula 1 grid the following year.

2019 - 2026: Formula 1

Finally, Alex made his Formula 1 debut with Toro Rosso at the 2019 Australian Grand Prix, before going on to race for Red Bull Racing later that same season. After his time with Red Bull, he joined Atlassian Williams F1 Team, becoming a key part of the Grove outfit and playing an important role in its ongoing climb back towards the front.

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