Comments on: Jaime Alguersuari confirmed at Toro Rosso

By: pride

pride — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 19:51:57 +0000

It´s funny how Tost contradicts himself when he makes a balance of the first half of the season. He says that because the car lacked on development parts, and now they are bringing the updated parts to hungary, plus the driver who still was the last one to collect points in Monaco, where among the reasons why STR did not much his expectations.

Now with an unexperienced driver (not considering his talents which we do not know by now), how can he gain more points if he will be in the learning mode this whole end of season?

If common sense prevails, it´s logical to use your powerhouse prooven with your new technological package in order to secure points until the end of the season

It is clear that dropping Bourdais was a financial reason. I Think that Red Bull is investing all the money from STR to secure the championship. I think being this the scenario could make sense the change.

By: Oliver

Oliver — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 09:20:05 +0000

Well from Minardi to Torro Rosso and now back to Minardi.
They will need any cash they can get. But what they don’t need is deceit. If They really wanted a driver that could perform, there are the Davidsons and Satos with experience and speed. Obviously performance wasn’t a criteria in the new recruitment.

By: savage

savage — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 07:54:36 +0000

I just hope he’s not a rolling roadblock !.
I wonder how safe allowing a driver with no real testing will be in a season where everyone else is at a different level especially with the untimely reminder that motorsport can be fatal even in a time where safety is at its best.

By: Chris P

Chris P — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 03:12:09 +0000

I haven’t been following Jaime’s progress to date so I genuinely don’t know the answer, but has he ever been around a corner, at speed, in an F1 car or will Friday practice be his first time?

By: Williams 4ever

Williams 4ever — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 01:24:02 +0000

Because the Europeans didn’t let him play he decided to pick up contamination from Champ Cars. So when he was back across the Atlantic, they decided to quarantine him in STR Sanatorium. Now that Sanatorium has got more richer patient, they evicted him out of his room for the richer patient

By: don deele

don deele — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 00:08:36 +0000

Wait. Didn’t Bourdais do F3 & 3000 too? Oh well.

By: don deele

don deele — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 23:35:04 +0000

Another Champ Car import fails to make it in F1. Why? It’s not in the blood or DNA. It’s our outdated, built in the ’60’s roadcourses. Too short, too narrow, and unsafe. How do you go from tracks like Portland “International Raceway” and expect to know how the proper, fast line at Malaysia runs. Our beloved “Road America” had Legge wipeout at a turn similar to the old Tamborello and luckily walks away. Why invest in a Tilke track when we have NASCAR? Villeneuve and Montoya raced in F3 and 3000 at least before going F1.

By: StrFerrari4Ever

StrFerrari4Ever — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 22:57:33 +0000

Amen! this year’s livery has failed to grow on me because of the huge similarity to RBR

By: manatcna

manatcna — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 22:09:08 +0000

I think Jaime could finish in the top 15, unless he parks it in the gravel, or another car.

By: TommyB89

TommyB89 — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 17:25:04 +0000

The more Toro Rosso can look a bit different to the Red Bulls the better

By: Hakka

Hakka — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 17:08:44 +0000

The lack of testing must really be frightening him – he’s being given a once in a lifetime opportunity with almost no practice to back it up – and no real practice outside the pressure of a race weekend at all moving forward. If he doesn’t quite measure up, he’ll always be left wondering if he’d have been smarter to wait a while and get more miles under his belt before entering F1.

We can draw comparisons to Raikkonen and others who came in with limited experience, but they at least knew the team would strap them in a car and let them run hundreds of miles of tests. Even in a minnows team. Not so with the new breed of rookies – got to admire their courage.

By: Hakka

Hakka — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 17:03:23 +0000

Nicely tied together. I can easily imagine that meeting at STR.

By: StrFerrari4Ever

StrFerrari4Ever — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 16:05:17 +0000

Seems like there’s more to this guy just joining STR from reserve role didn’t know about the massive funds behind him and his family’s success in Spain this could be a jackpot for Toro Rosso as they desperately need money lets hope all goes well for Jamie & STR. Out on the track I hope he delivers seeing two rookies going at it and pushing for all their worth will be brilliant and will give us an indication whether they’ll be future stars or whether they will end up at the bottom. I’m going to say Buemi will have the edge this weekend and I can see Buemi getting points & Alguesuari in the top 12 or if his lucky top 10 or if he drives like a man possessed possibly in the points. I just want Toro Rosso to maximize the brilliant upgrade and get the most they can before they get sucked back to the rear(which i hope doesn’t happen). Also bear in mind it was at this stage last season that STR started their second half charge like at Valencia Vettel could’ve got pole but made a mistake on his final lap so I’m optimistic that this is a turning point and that positive things will come from the rest of the season.

By: StrFerrari4Ever

StrFerrari4Ever — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 15:56:55 +0000

$1Million a race wow thats the first time i’ve heard about that I knew Repsol were giving him big bucks but didn’t know it was that much! Would be awesome seeing the Repsol logo on the STR if they can inco-operate it into their livery.

By: tom

tom — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 14:40:06 +0000

holy flip, he shares my birthday to the day and year. wow. i couldnt imagine myself in such a situation in the slightest. way too young (for me). good on him.

By: tom

tom — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 14:38:45 +0000

What??!! how can this be??? a toro rosso driver NOT named sebastian/ien???!!!!

By: Bartholomew

Bartholomew — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 14:32:57 +0000

His father is the owner of a large publishing group – they have different magazines of motorcycles, etc.
They first started out with a magazine called SOLO MOTO.
His family is well known in the motor world in Spain.

By: Dougie

Dougie — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 12:49:00 +0000

A sceptical view maybe, but here is an interesting turn of events…

1. STR need cash as funds are being diverted to RBR.
2. Alguersuari has funding available from Repsol.
3. Hartley is moved aside to make way for Alguersuari in Reserve.
4. Bourdais is pushed out to make way for Alguersuari in the race seat.

All happened in the last 3 weeks.. awfully short time period for any of it to be coincidental.

By: TommyB

TommyB — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 12:44:15 +0000

I know it’s not like he’s winning the championship in 3.5 or anything. He’s at the top of motorsport now so concentrate on that surely :S

By: Meander

Meander — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 12:40:29 +0000

That’s just what I was thinking.

I’m wondering if Hartley hadn’t given up his position, he would have had the seat.

I don’t think Red Bull/Toro Rosso picked Alguersuari purely because of his test role though.