Retaining Albon the 'smartest' way to continue - Verstappen

Max Verstappen believes that Red Bull has made the "smartest" call in opting to keep Alexander Albon for the 2020 season.

Albon joined Red Bull midway through the 2019 campaign, stepping in for Pierre Gasly, who struggled at the outfit after replacing Daniel Ricciardo. 

Albon has managed to score top-six finishes in every race so far for Red Bull, leaving the energy drink squad to make the call after the US Grand Prix to retain him for a full season next year.

MORE: Albon labels Red Bull 2020 confirmation as 'crazy' | Verstappen: Red Bull doesn't need rain to be competitive in Brazil

Speaking about the decision, Verstappen said: “He’s a nice guy. I think for him, the last 12 months have been a bit of a rollercoaster.

“Of course, he’s very laid back, very relaxed and people like him in the team. He’s easy-going, which I think helps. 

"He’s quick, he’s doing his job, he’s getting the points. I think it was the smartest way of continuing.”

Albon 'didn't know' when Red Bull decision would be made

Albon spoke on Thursday about his "short" phone-call with Dr Helmut Marko, who informed him that he had the seat for the 2019 season.

The Thai-British driver says he wasn't sure when the decision was going to be made, but affirmed that his primary focus was on the race weekends. 

"I didn't know when the decision was going to be made," he said. "For me, it was thinking about the races that I had and making sure I was happy with how I was progressing. 

"I think that was an important thing, to show that I am making steps forward. In terms of when I was going to get the call, I knew it was going to happen, but I wasn't stressed when. 

"As I said before many times, I was just focused on the job at hand."