(Motorsport-Total.com) – Williams driver Alexander Albon reported a surprising encounter with Max Verstappen while trying to learn e-foiling during the Formula 1 summer break in August on Sardinia.
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In the official Williams podcast Team Torque, where Albon was a guest along with teammate Carlos Sainz and team principal James Vowles, the Thai driver first talked about his varied program during the summer break – and then about his unexpected meeting with the four-time world champion.
During a four-day stay at a popular holiday spot on Sardinia, Albon tried e-foiling. This involves riding on an electrically powered surfboard equipped with a hydrofoil that lifts out of the water at a certain speed.
While Albon was still struggling to keep his balance on the board, he was overtaken by another holidaymaker. This person was sitting relaxed on the edge of his board and sped past him at high speed. As it later turned out, it was none other than Verstappen.
“I had just learned how to ride an e-foil. Have you ever tried this e-foil thing? So I’m riding around and suddenly see this guy pass me,” Albon recounts. “He’s sitting on the edge, his legs almost hanging over the front of the board, and he’s going full throttle. And I mean really fast. He looks like a Buddha, completely relaxed as he rides along.”
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“I just thought, ‘Who is this guy?’ while I was wobbling around. It was Max. I thought: That can’t be! At that point, I didn’t know it was him. I said to Lily, ‘Look who this guy is.’ And then Kelly (Piquet, Verstappen’s partner; editor’s note) and Lily naturally started texting, and at some point it was like, ‘Oh, we’re right next to you.'”
In the end, Albon also got a fitting comment from Verstappen: “Oh yes, I saw you. I saw you constantly falling off your e-foil!”
However, Albon’s summer break was not just about his stay in Sardinia. The Williams driver also took a short trip to South Africa, spent a week in the Dolomites, and then completed another training week in Monaco.
Formula 1 has now returned from the summer break. In Zandvoort, Albon finished 16th in the F1 sprint. For the Dutch Grand Prix, which starts on Sunday at 3:00 PM CEST, the Williams driver also qualified in 16th position (Here’s the Formula 1 live ticker!).
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