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Red Bull driver Alex Albon has revealed that he used his ethnicity to help him “stand out” from the crowd during his youth career.
The British-born Thai driver Albon is one of only two non-white drivers on the 20-person Formula 1 grid, the other being six-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.
The current season has seen a push for more diversity in F1 and society as a whole, with Hamilton leading that push within the paddock.
Albon, who was just 12 when Hamilton captured his first world title in 2008, claims the Mercedes driver was someone he looked up to as he had shown that ethnicity was not a barrier to achievement.
“Still, Lewis was someone to look up to when he was older, as I am sure with many drivers my age,” said Red Bull driver Albon.
“The truth, for my part, was his ethnicity. I also saw it as a way to stand out and it was also a way to put me through the junior formulas.
“I always had the backing of Thailand and I always had a chance, so there are definitely different ways to do it.”
Albon explained how his upbringing provided him with a degree of protection against the problems of racism, but acknowledged that others have been less fortunate.
“I was quite protected as a child,” he continued. “I grew up in a good school, a private school and without problems.
“The thing is, I raced in Europe so early in my career that I was pretty good. That doesn’t mean that people have it easy, it’s just that I never faced it.”
When asked if diversity issues had ever hurt his career, Albon replied, “No, I wouldn’t say. If anything, it was good for me. It helped me explore and get funding from elsewhere.”
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