WATCH: Albon wrecks Red Bull in big FP2 crash in Bahrain

Alex Albon said on Thursday that he had three races to prove to Red Bull he was worthy of keeping his race seat next year, but his Bahrain Grand Prix weekend got off to a terrible start after he suffered a big crash in second practice.

With team mate Max Verstappen top of the time sheets in FP2, Albon was pushing hard to find some extra speed as he worked to get his car dialled in ahead of qualifying and the race.

But he went wide at the final corner of the track and over the sandy run-off. He kept his foot on the throttle, but the car snapped sideways on him, sending him crashing into the barrier and making a big mess of his RB16 car.

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He was unharmed and climbed out of the car, but it looked like the Red Bull mechanics might have a long night ahead of them to get it fixed in time for FP3 on Saturday morning.

With Albon's future still up in the air - and Sergio Perez seemingly waiting in the wings to swoop in and take his seat should Red Bull decide against keeping Albon next year - the Thai driver will be hoping to bounce back over the rest of the weekend.