Toro Rosso Formula 1 Driver Jaime Alguersuari
British F3 Champion signs for Red Bull Junior F1 Team
Jul 21, 2009
Jaime Alguersuari is the latest addition to the Formula 1 field. The young Spaniard is a product of Red Bull’s young driver initiative and replaces Sebastien Bourdais in the Toro Rosso team.
Bourdais, who has failed to impress during his time in Formula 1, was fired by Toro Rosso after the German Grand Prix. The Frenchman is currently considering legal action against the team. Alguersuari, aged 19, will become the youngest driver ever to race in Formula 1 at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix.
Jaime Alguersuari’s Route to Formula 1
Alguersuari started his racing career in karts at the tender age of eight. He remained in karting until 2005, winning several titles in that time. In addition to becoming a national champion Alguersuari also won the Champions International Cup on two occasions.
It was in 2005 that Alguersuari made his single seater debut, racing in the Formula Junior 1.6 by Renault series. He was quickly up to speed and recorded two victories en route to finishing third in the Italian championship.
By 2006 Alguersuari had been spotted by Red Bull scouts and signed up to the team’s development programme for young drivers. Alguersuari stayed in Formula Renault for 2006, moving into the two litre category. He won the Winter Series, finished 12th in the Eurocup championship and claimed Rookie of the Year honours in the Italian series, where he finished 10th overall. Staying in the two litre class for 2007, Alguersuari improved by finishing fifth in the Eurocup and second in the Italian series.
Alguersuari made a major step up for 2008, driving for Carlin in the fiercely competitive British Formula 3 International Series. It was a classic season, with Alguersuari scoring five wins and six poles on his way to the title. This year saw Alguersuari competing in the World Series by Renault, driving a 3.5 litre single-seater.
Jaime Alguersuari’s F1 Prospects
Toro Rosso will travel to the Hungarian Grand Prix with a revised car, which should help Alguersuari on his Formula 1 debut. The teenager will be especially keen to impress as there are strong rumours linking multiple World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb to his race seat.
Loeb has tested a Formula 1 car before but is forbidden from driving in the series at the moment by his Citroen rally team. Once the rally season has finished, however, Loeb would be free to drive for Toro Rosso. This could be as early as the final race of the 2009 Formula 1 season in Abu Dhabi.
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