Alguersuari is surprised by his dismissal but holds no grudge
Following the announcement of Jean-Eric Vergne and Daniel Ricciardo's appointment at Toro Rosso, Jaime Alguersuari claims he was told he was in the plans of the Faenza team for 2012 and therefore admits his surprise, even if he refuses to blame Red Bull for its decision.
If the announcement of Jaime Alguersuari and Sebastien Buemi’s eviction from Toro Rosso, in favor of Jean-Eric Vergne and Daniel Ricciardo, surprised many Formula One observers and enthusiasts, it was the same for the main parties involved, starting with Jaime Alguersuari: « A week ago, I spoke with Helmut Marko and Franz Tost, and they told me they had plans for me in 2012. They did so enthusiastically and showed me a lot of confidence; they also asked me to be in Madrid on Monday for a day with our sponsor, CEPSA, where I talked about our project for 2012. »
Systematically put under scrutiny by Helmut Marko, the young Spaniard had nonetheless proven himself at the end of the season, notably delivering a splendid race in South Korea where he beat Nico Rosberg to the line, securing 7th place. With a total of 26 points by the end of the 2011 season, Alguersuari was eleven points ahead of his teammate, the Swiss Sebastien Buemi, whom he joined during the 2009 season, replacing Sebastien Bourdais, transitioning directly from the World Series by Renault to F1: « I thought they were crazy to make me debut in 2009, at 19 years and three months old, without having previously completed a single lap in a Formula One car. Today’s announcement feels like a big misunderstanding at the peak of my sports career. »
The Catalan, however, puts his situation into perspective, ultimately always more enviable than that of many of his fellow citizens: « The surprise effect only lasted a few hours, I just needed to talk with my family. I looked at the streets of Madrid and realized that life was full of opportunities and challenges. When I went to Barcelona, I read a newspaper where they highlighted that there are five million unemployed people in Spain. One can only display confidence and optimism, think about fighting and improving every day, and that’s exactly what I will do starting tomorrow, I promise all my fans and I appreciate their support. »
Despite everything, Alguersuari refuses to criticize those who gave him the opportunity to climb all the way to Formula One: « Red Bull gave me everything since I was 15. I trained with them and today I am a complete F1 driver. I have no reason to complain because, for seven years, I had the privilege of being in the best team in the world with the best resources. I do not consider what happened today to be a tragedy because I have many projects for the present and the future, both professionally and sportingly. »
Indeed, the youngest driver in history to have started a Formula One Grand Prix has more than one string to his bow. Moreover, in the absence of finding a seat in 2012, he can always devote himself to music since Squire – his stage name as a DJ – owns a recording studio in Barcelona, which notably allowed him to release an album, Organic Life, last September. He mentioned at the end of November to the news agency EFE: “If Red Bull no longer wants to continue with me, I will leave and do something else. I love being here, and I’m happy, but if they don’t keep me, then I don’t think I would continue in Formula 1.”
By formalizing his eviction, Red Bull is putting Alguersuari before a fait accompli.
