British F3 champion Jaime Alguersuari is set to become the youngest Formula 1 driver in history when he makes his debut for the Toro Rosso team at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
The 19-year-old Spaniard, a reserve driver at the Italian team, is being lined up to replace Sebastien Bourdais of France, the report said. The Times
An announcement about the Frenchman’s future is expected within 48 hours.
Toro Rosso and team boss Franz Tost declined to comment on the situation at the German Grand Prix at the weekend as speculation swept the Nuerburgring paddock.
The Barcelona-born driver appeared to confirm the move to Red Bull-owned Toro Rosso in comments to Catalunya Radio.
“I honestly think the Red Bull decision is right, but it is never good for someone to be left out of a team halfway through a season,” he said. Telegraph.co.uk
Since entering into Formula One after winning four successive ChampCar titles in the United States from 2004-2007, Bourdais has struggled, winning just six points from the 27 grands prix in which he competed.
Bourdais was overshadowed last year by Sebastian Vettel, who provided a largely uncompetitive team with victory in last season’s Italian grand prix. This season Bourdais again found himself second best to the Swiss rookie Sébastien Buemi, who out-qualified his more experienced team-mate in seven of the season’s nine races thus far.
Alguersuari is the British Formula Three champion and another product of the Red Bull young driver development programme. The Spaniard will take his place in the record books at the Hungarian grand prix in a fortnight by becoming the sport’s youngest driver at the age of 19 years and 126 days, which would beat the New Zealander Mike Thackwell’s record by 57 days set in the 1980 Canadian grand prix. Guardian.co.uk
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