LONDON (Reuters) – Williams Formula One driver Alex Albon said he hoped to race in Singapore on Oct. 2 after missing last weekend’s Italian Grand Prix with appendicitis but recognised it would be tough.
The 26-year-old Thai was replaced at Monza by Dutch reserve Nyck de Vries, who finished ninth on his debut.
Albon was released from hospital on Tuesday and is recovering at home in Monaco ahead of the Singapore round which starts with practice on Sept. 30.
“I feel pretty good, I feel OK,” he said in a video message on social media.
“Obviously on Saturday I had a slight issue and the doctors did an amazing job. I’m very grateful that they got me in good health and out of the hospital by Tuesday.
“I’ve been in Monaco since then, I’ve been starting to walk around and the goal is to be ready for Singapore which is going to be tough. It’s one of the toughest races that we go to, so it’s not an easy one.
“But let’s aim high and see what happens.”
Williams said on Monday that Albon suffered “unexpected post-operative anaesthetic complications which led to respiratory failure” and had spent Saturday night in intensive care.
He was removed from mechanical ventilation on Sunday.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin in London, editing by Ed Osmond)
