Pirelli have just announced that Jaime Alguersuari and Lucas di Grassi will be the test drivers of the newly purchased Renault R30 and the Pirelli simulator to develop the 2013 Formula one and GP2 tyre. Alguersuari had recently joined the Radio 5 live team for Formula 1 race commentary but it is unknown if he will continue in this position now he has been signed up by Pirelli. “I’m very happy indeed to have this fantastic opportunity,” said Alguersuari. “A week ago it was my […]

After the near-perfection of 2011, reigning back-to-back world champion Sebastian Vettel lost his cool in Malaysia. Red Bull's dominance since late 2009 has finally ended, and that fact was fully demonstrated at Sepang when German Vettel could not hang on even to fourth place. He collided with backmarker Narain Karthikeyan and lost his temper with the Indian, showing him a middle-finger salute no less than twice. Vettel, 24, then described Karthikeyan as a "gherkin" on German television. And his description got worse in front of […]

Fernando Alonso was spared the Italian media's wrath after Ferrari opened its 2012 campaign with the troubled F2012 car. "Alonso once again saved Ferrari from disaster," said the authoritative La Gazzetta dello Sport, after the Spanish driver drove the car to fifth place in Australia. The under-pressure Felipe Massa's opening race, however, "was a nightmare", the daily newspaper added. Jaime Alguersuari, the former Toro Rosso driver who is now a media analyst, also praised fellow Spaniard Alonso. "For Ferrari, it is an unique advantage to […]

Toro Rosso has told its new drivers to push hard rather than fear a crash, Daniel Ricciardo revealed ahead of his first home grand prix in Australia. The Red Bull rookie team has replaced Jaime Alguersuari and Sebastien Buemi with Australian Ricciardo and newcomer Jean-Eric Vergne. They are lined up as potential replacements for senior team Red Bull's Mark Webber in 2013, but at the same time must fear succumbing to the same fate as their instantly-axed predecessors. "We're going to be on the edge," […]

Ferrari will not appoint an official reserve driver in 2012, the famous Italian team has confirmed. The Maranello based team's former reserve, Jules Bianchi, has stepped up to the Friday role at Force India. Also on Ferrari's books are Davide Rigon, Giancarlo Fisichella and Marc Gene. But in the event Felipe Massa or Fernando Alonso are unable to race at any point this season, Ferrari will "take one of the drivers who are running around the paddock", a spokesman told Germany's Auto Motor und Sport. […]

Jaime Alguersuari has revealed he has heard bad news about Robert Kubica's condition. With official news about the injured Pole scarce, one of his friends said last week Kubica is close to returning to a normal life, raising hopes he might soon be back in Formula One. But former Toro Rosso driver Alguersuari has heard something very different. "I think Robert is and was a fantastic driver, fast and complete. I am sure that he could have been a world champion without a doubt," he […]

Jaime Alguersuari has ruled out following his former Toro Rosso teammate Sebastien Buemi to Le Mans. The pair were axed at the end of last season, leaving Swiss Buemi with the reserve role at Red Bull and a one-off drive in the fabled Le Mans 24 hour race. 21-year-old Alguersuari, on the other hand, will remain in the paddock this year thanks only to his new British radio co-commentary role, amid rumours he could become Pirelli's test driver. Le Mans, he insists, is not an […]

He may not have a race or even a reserve seat, but Jaime Alguersuari will at least be a regular face in the Formula 1 paddock in 2012. The axed Toro Rosso driver will be experienced broadcaster James Allen's co-commentator for British radio BBC 5 Live in 2012, the Telegraph newspaper reports. Journalist Tom Cary said the news will be confirmed officially on Tuesday. Still just 21, Spaniard Alguersuari revealed last month that he will remain fully focused on Formula 1 this year. "I am […]

Jean-Eric Vergne has revealed he will try to keep the "tension" down to a minimum inside the Toro Rosso garage in 2012. Team owner Dietrich Mateschitz this week has admitted that, beyond Mark Webber's 2012 contract, "Our primary goal is to put one of our juniors" alongside Sebastian Vettel at Red Bull. With Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari ousted by the energy drink's Faenza based secondary team after 2011, those most eligible juniors are now French rookie Vergne and his new Australian teammate Daniel Ricciardo. […]

Jaime Alguersuari has announced he will be absent from the Formula One paddock in 2012. After two and a half seasons and at just 21-years-old, the Spaniard has lost his Toro Rosso race seat. And the final spot on the 2012 grid, at the Spanish team HRT, has been secured by Narain Karthikeyan. There has been speculation Toro Rosso sponsor Cepsa was unhappy with Red Bull's decision to dump Alguersuari, but the Faenza based team announced that the Spanish oil company is staying on board […]

After his Toro Rosso ousting, Jaime Alguersuari could emerge with the Mercedes team in 2012. The Spanish sports daily AS reports that Ipic, Abu Dhabi's international petroleum investment company, is unhappy with Red Bull for ousting the young Spaniard from its driver programme. IPIC owns the Spanish oil company Cepsa, which last year became a major Toro Rosso sponsor. Alguersuari, according to the report, "had become the image of the company in its international expansion plans". Through its investment vehicle Aabar, Abu Dhabi is also […]

With Red Bull juniors Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne stepping up for 2012, the spotlight is set to fall on the energy drink company's next young hopeful. That youngster is Carlos Sainz Jr, the 17-year-old son of the Spanish world rally legend. Sainz Jr is now the cream of Red Bull's junior driver programme, and this week is heading to Milton Keynes to drive the F1 team's state-of-the-art driver simulator, Spanish sports newspaper Marca reports. Also in the spotlight this year is Russian 17-year-old Kaniil […]