Surprised Albon ready to race in Singapore after surgery drama

Williams driver Alex Albon said Thursday he was surprised to be able to race in Singapore this weekend after missing the Italian Grand Prix because of complications after surgery.

“I don’t think truthfully we had Singapore in mind,” said the 26-year-old Thai, who spent a night in intensive care in an Italian hospital earlier this month with respiratory failure after his appendix was removed.

“Just the speed of recovery made it a possible thing.”

London-born Albon, who races under the Thai flag because of his mother’s nationality, practised on the Friday of race weekend at Monza but was taken ill on the Saturday morning almost three weeks ago.

Albon had to be placed on a ventilator to help with breathing but said his lungs had cleared up quickly enough to enable him to begin training again last week.

“I feel like I am ready,” Albon told reporters in the Marina Bay paddock, which is rated the toughest of the year by drivers because of the high heat and humidity on an unforgiving street circuit.

“But of course we have to wait until FP1 tomorrow to see where we’re at, because driving round here is a different beast.

“It’s the hardest race of the year, that’s for sure. But I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think I would be able to race.”

Reserve driver Nyck de Vries filled Albon’s seat in Monza and finished a creditable ninth on his Formula One debut.

Albon is 19th in the drivers’ championship with four points. De Vries has two but Albon’s teammate Nicholas Latifi, who will leave Williams at the end of the season, is yet to score a point in 2022.

Sunday’s night race at Singapore could see Red Bull’s Max Verstappen retain his world championship if he wins and other results go his way.