Playlist Picks: Alex Albon
The British-Thai F1 driver discusses music’s role in preparing him for races, and why his first ever gig is likely to be at his own wedding
Music can help us all to either relax or get ramped up for life’s big moments. For most of us, those moments aren’t driving the most powerful cars in the world in front of millions though.
Few more pressurised environments exist for both the mind and the body than competing in a Formula 1 race, so the surroundings and the soundtrack have to be perfect. For Alex Albon, the British-Thai driver for the Atlassian Williams F1 Team who has become a shining star of the sport in recent years, music is a vital part of his preparation.
“I use it more as a tool than for pleasure,” he tells Rolling Stone UK. “When it comes to race weekends, I listen to music more. I use it to zone in and take the noise of the paddock away from me and create an environment [where] I can separate myself from everything else.” With an exhausting schedule of sponsor commitments and media duties as well as actually getting in the car and racing, “as soon as you get those five or 10 minutes alone, you your headset on, [put on] my playlist, and just get into that zone.”
Said playlist is simply titled ‘Chill’, and Albon’s trainer has it on hand at all times for moments of crisis. “I know in the moment [when] I need to just distract myself. I need to take myself away from this. It could be that I’m just tense that weekend. It could be that I feel a bit overwhelmed.”
Races are sometimes also interrupted by red flags, caused by excessive rain or a large crash, giving the drivers an unexpected gap in which to decompress but also retain focus. “Your body’s full of adrenaline because you’ve just been racing and now [you’ve] got to restart and go again,” Albon says. Music, he adds, is “a good re-centering point” for those moments.
Albon, like most F1 drivers, dedicated his life to the sport from an extremely young age, meaning his free leisure time has been hugely constricted for almost his entire life. As a result, he is yet to go to his first gig.
“We have all these concerts around the world,” he says enviously, with almost every F1 race on the calendar being accompanied by a festival-like set of performances. “What’s even worse is, sometimes when we’re in the truck having these debriefs, you can actually hear them playing. They’re literally behind you, and yet I’ve never been to one!”
As a result, Albon reckons his first ever gig will be performed by whoever he books to play his upcoming wedding. Robbie Williams would be top of the list (‘Angels’ is Albon’s karaoke song at the annual Singapore Grand Prix), and his Playlist Picks highlight a love for uplifting and soulful music that can help give him shelter from the storm.
See Albon discuss his picks and listen to them all – alongside all other picks from the series so far – on our Playlist Picks playlist on Spotify below.
Chance Peña – ‘The Mountain Is You’
This is one I go back to a lot, especially before a session or when I am just sat with my headphones on when I have downtime. It builds slowly, starts quiet and then opens up, which is good for winding down. This is on the chill playlist for sure.
Hans Williams – ‘Skin’
I like this one because it’s soft without being boring. It has this underlying grounding reminder to not take everything so seriously. For me it is a good background listening song, even though it starts soft but ends up building into something more emotional.
Jonah Kagen – ‘God Needs the Devil’
Found this one during a race weekend when I wanted something a bit heavier than my usual stuff. It’s dark and moody which I like, but also has this steady rhythm and drums throughout that drives it. I don’t always need my music to be cheerful, I just need it to feel honest, and this one does that for me.
Lewis Capaldi – ‘Forget Me’
Had to have Lewis on here somewhere, he’s one of my go-tos for karaoke and just generally. This one is a bit different than some of his other songs, a bit more upbeat, but I do also love a piano intro. Another song that is just an easy one to have on when I want to relax – a theme for me.
Noah Kahan – ‘End of August’
This is classic comfort song for me. There’s a nostalgic, end-of-summer feeling to it, which is just a nice mood you can sink into. That’s exactly what I want from music most of the time, I just like to zone out with easy listening.