In the last Italian Grand Prix, Alexander Albon had to be transferred, a few hours before the qualifying session, to the hospital to undergo surgery for appendicitis. The event allowed Nyck de Vries to make his F1 debut as a late substitute, something the Dutchman capitalized on by finishing ninth in the race.
Following the operation, Albon also had to deal with respiratory failure, forcing him to spend the night in intensive care.
However, the Anglo-Thai driver was able to recover and has been focused on his recovery ever since. Albon used the three-week break to prepare for F1’s return to Singapore after two seasons off the calendar.
Albon said he was “not underestimating” the challenge of getting back behind the wheel at the Marina Bay circuit, one of the hottest races of the year despite being held at night.
“First of all I would like to thank everyone for all their messages and support during the Italian Grand Prix weekend,” said Albon.
“My preparation for Singapore has been a bit different than normal, but I feel good and have done my best to prepare for one of the most physical races on the calendar.”
“I don’t underestimate the challenge [racing in Singapore] is going to be, but I’m looking forward to getting out on the track on Friday and getting back to driving.”
“It’s a great street circuit and my closest race to home (in Thailand), so I’m really excited to be here and to see the fans that have turned out.”
De Vries will be present , once again, as a reserve driver, in case Albon is unable to continue with the weekend.
Although the FW44 was especially powerful at the Spa and Monza races, helping de Vries get into the points, Williams performance boss Dave Robson is looking forward to a more “challenging” race on the streets of Singapore.
“As a team, we have enjoyed the end of the European season, with the FW44 performing well at Spa and Monza, and Nyck de Vries proving to be a very capable substitute,” said Robson.
“Now that we’re back to focusing on Singapore, we’re looking forward to a more challenging weekend, but we also know that a street circuit like Singapore can present an opportunity to do well and we’re going to try to maximize these opportunities.”
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