Alexander Albon says it will take him time to get on terms with team mate Max Verstappen at this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix.

It will be the third race weekend for Albon since he joined Red Bull. And it should be the first time since his arrival that neither he nor Verstappen have to take grid penalties due to power unit component changes.

However Albon pointed out his lack of experience at Singapore will put him at a disadvantage compared to his team mate.

“It doesn’t look an easy track,” he said. “I think it’s one of what few tracks where you see a big gap in lap times.

“So I’ll take it step by step. We’ll see in [first practice], I’m sure I’ll be a bit off the pace there. But we’ll obviously aim to tidy everything up for qualifying and the race.

“That’s about it really. Obviously the car’s going to be better suited to this track than Spa and Monza, so we’ll see.”

Out of the seven remaining races on this year’s calendar, Albon has only previously raced at Sochi and Yas Marina. But while many of the tracks will be new to him, Albon says the RB15 is beginning to feel more familiar.

“I’m feeling like I’m improving, I feel like I’m getting more used to the car,” he said. “I’m still treating the races – not like test sessions – but I’m still trying things out. I’m feeling more comfortable.

“Of course now we’re coming into the season where all these tracks will be new so it’s almost like a double: Learn the car and the track. But by this point now the car’s feeling a lot more natural to drive.”

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2019 F1 season