Former driver Jaime Alguersuari’s journey to Formula 1 was nothing short of remarkable. At the tender age of 19, he became the youngest driver to compete in an F1 race when he made his debut for Toro Rosso (AlphaTauri) in 2009. He picked up 25 points in his rookie season and became a young sensation. Jaime had only one dream, to get a seat at Red Bull. The dream looked realistic until the fateful day of December 14, 2009.
In 2009, Torro Rosso sacked Jaime Alguersuari along with Sebastien Buemi on an immediate basis and announced Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Éric Vergne as replacements. Jaime’s world came crashing down as he marked the end of his career in F1. Now a professional DJ and music producer, the former F1 driver has made a startling revelation of what went behind the scenes during his exit from the Red Bull organization.
Jaime Alguersuari Claims Red Bull Sacked Him Over A Minute-Long Phone Call!
It was a chilly December morning in 2011 when Jaime Alguersuari’s world came crashing down with a single phone call. The then 21-year-old Spanish racing driver, who had shown immense promise throughout his Formula 1 career, was left bewildered and heartbroken after being unusually let go by Red Bull Racing’s sister team Toro Rosso. In an interview nearly a decade later, Alguersuari revealed the painful details of that one-minute call that altered his life trajectory forever – and the unanswered questions that continue to haunt him to this day. Jaime said that he chose to let the contract offered by Lotus go just to earn a promotion at Red Bull which looked on the cards owing to his exceptional performance.
However, what unfolded after, left Jaime Alguersuari in disbelief. He said that he was doing everything asked of him. He had beaten his teammate and earned a struggling Toro Rosso some points. Hence, for Jaime, the next stop was Red Bull. However, Mark Webber extended his contract for additional 12 months, which put the former F1 driver’s future on hold. Still, he had hope until December 2011. Jaime alleged that Red Bull sacked him over a phone call that barely lasted one minute. To date, he does not understand what went wrong, which prompted the drink-based team to end his F1 career. However, the driver-turned-musician does believe that the team waited till the very last minute to part ways with him just to make sure that he does not have a chance to land a seat elsewhere. While Jaime Alguersuari has no regrets and is happy with his music career, the harsh treatment did leave a deep impact on his memories.
Sergio Perez Feeling The Pressure Of Competition
Meanwhile, another Red Bull driver is witnessing the harsh competition within the organization. Sergio Perez has struggled to keep up with his teammate, Max Verstappen, this season. He remains 100 odd points behind Max in the driver’s championship. Moreover, Perez’s recent couple of qualifying disasters has put his seat in danger.
Sergio Perez admitted that competition within the Red Bull organization is extreme. He is under constant pressure to perform. One bad session means 10 drivers are waiting in line to replace him in the blink of an eye. Perez believes that only the drivers who are mentally strong can survive in the drink-based team, and he is trying his best to remain relevant for now.
