David Coulthard recalled an incident in which he was caught off guard when he saw Jos Verstappen, father of four-time Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen, praising Alexander Albon’s talent.
The Thai-born driver spent about a season and a half racing alongside the Dutchman before being released by Red Bull. He eventually found a seat at Williams and settled there, despite the challenging 2026 season he is facing with the new regulations.
During a conversation, Jos took the opportunity to highlight Alex’s exceptional talent from his karting days. The remark, in fact, surprised Coulthard at the time. “I’ll share something with you. I dined with Mark Webber, Martin Brundle, Jos Verstappen and Raymond Vermeulen, who is Max’s manager. I mentioned 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 revealed on the Up To Speed podcast.
“I reacted by saying: ‘Really?’ And he replied: ‘That kid in karting was incredible.’ Jos is usually quite reserved about his 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 completely immersed in karting and, if Alex stood out so much, then keep an eye on him when Williams gives him a car with which he can truly drive at ease. Then he will be able to show those genius karting talents he had demonstrated from an early age,” he concluded.
