A FORMER Nayland schoolboy scooped his first podium finish in Forumla 1.

Alex Albon, who went to Littlegarth School as a youngster, finished third in the incident packed Tuscan Grand Prix on Sunday, which included a number of crashes.

The 24-year-old Thai-British driver has had a seat on the grid for more than a year, but produced his best ever performance in the Red Bull to finish behind Mercedes pair Valtteri Bottas, of Finland, and reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton.

It was Albon’s 18th attempt at finishing in the top three.

It was the sport’s first ever race at the Mugello track in Italy with the season having been severely impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the race, he said: “The team has supported me since day one.

“It’s really good to get a podium just to show that I can do it.”