Alex Albon returns home after appendicitis ordeal which saw him suffer respiratory failure

Alex Albon has returned home after suffering from appendicitis, which subsequently caused him to have difficulty breathing.

The 26-year-old Williams driver was diagnosed with appendicitis last week before undergoing laparoscopic surgery on Saturday.

After exercising on the Friday before feeling unwell and then being diagnosed with appendicitis, Albon developed further medical complications when he suffered from breathing difficulties due to anesthesia problems.

The Thai-British driver was placed under mechanical ventilation to make him better before being released on Tuesday.

Williams confirmed to a number of media outlets that the driver had recovered well and continued to recover at home in Monaco.

Due to an unusually large gap at this stage of the season, resulting in the cancellation of the Russian Grand Prix, it is hoped that Albon will return to the seat for the Singapore race on October 2.

With Albon withdrawn for Saturday’s qualifying, Nyck de Vries stepped into his seat as a reserve for his first-ever F1 ride.

After the race, the Dutch former Formula E world champion said it was a ‘dream come true’ to finally get a chance in F1 and that he hoped to be a fixture next season.

“It was a great day for the team and although grid penalties were in our favour, in the end we ran a great race, so I’m very happy for everyone in the team and for myself,” he said.

“Hopefully I’ll get a chance next year, but this is definitely a dream come true and I’m very impressed with what we’ve done in the short term, so I’m going to enjoy it now.”