Formula 1: Alexander Albon suffers from appendicitis and will miss the Italian Grand Prix

Thailand’s Alexander Albon will not be able to participate in the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix on Sunday due to an appendix, according to the Williams team, who also announced that his second car will be driven for the rest of the weekend by Dutch rookie Nyck. De Vries.

“Williams Racing can confirm that Alex Albon is being treated for appendicitis after feeling ill this morning and seeking advice from doctors from the FIA ​​and the local hospital. Following this, we can confirm that the team’s reserve driver Nyck de Vries will drive in place of Alex for the remainder of the Italian Grand Prix weekend. Alex is in a good mood and the team wishes him a speedy recovery, “the British team said in an official statement.

The Thai tried to take the news calmly. “Appendicitis, surgery and no competition is not what I expected this weekend! Negatives: Missing what feels like a strong weekend for us and the pain. Positive aspects: weight loss for Singapore and beautiful scars, “he wrote on his Twitter account.

Before appendicitis drastically changed his plans, Albon, who is next to last in the league with just 4 points (he is just ahead of teammate, Canadian Nicholas Latifi), had had an auspicious Friday, as he arrived 11 ° in the first free practice round and 10th in the second.

Almost without preparation time, his place was taken this Saturday by De Vries, Formula 2 champion in 2019 and Formula E champion in the 2020/21 season. In any case, the Dutchman had already taken to the track on Friday, in the first free practice session, even if aboard an Aston Martin and replacing the German Sebastian Vettel (he finished 19th).

At his first taste of the Williams this weekend (he had already used them in a free practice session of the Spanish Grand Prix), 27-year-old De Vries finished 14th in the last free practice session at the Monza circuit. Then he will play his first classification and on Sunday he will race his first Grand Prix.

In this last free practice session for the 16th round of the season, the fastest was another Dutchman, Max Verstappen, who set a time of 1: 21.252. The world champion relegated the Monegasque Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) by 347 thousandths and his teammate, the Mexican Sergio Pérez by 596 thousandths.