Jaime Alguersuari debuted in Formula 1 racing for Toro Rosso back in 2009 but ended up quitting after intense pressure from Red Bull.
The Spaniard, during that time, was the youngest driver on the grid.
During the 2009 season, Helmut Marko decided to intervene at Toro Rosso and replaced Sebastien Bourdais with Alguersuari for the Hungarian Grand Prix.
‘Will always be grateful to him’
Alguersuari was asked if it is difficult to work with Marko.
“Yes, but I do want to say that I had a good relationship with him,” he said.
”I will always be grateful to him, also the owner of Red Bull Dietrich Mateschitz. They gave me the chance in Formula 1, where I could mature as a human being.
“I feel privileged with that opportunity, even if I have also suffered enough from it,” the Spaniard said to La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Told to leave Toro Rosso
Alguersuari slowly began to improve his performance and managed to score five points during 2010.
By 2011, he managed to beat Sebastien Buemi.
Alguersuari refused a seat with Lotus in 2012 but by the end of the year was told to leave Toro Rosso.
‘Don’t understand how that happened’
”I still don’t understand how that could have happened. I finished ahead of my teammate, and had even turned down a contract from Lotus to be teammate with Kimi Raikkonen (that seat eventually went to Romain Grosjean who scored ten podiums).
“There were a lot of positive sounds at Toro Rosso, but after an event in Madrid I was called by Marko that there was no chance to stay.
“I was hurt by the way I was treated,” he said.
No bond with Horner
Alguersuari was asked about his relationship with Christian Horner to which he mentioned that there was none.
”That bond was not there, not even with Adrian Newey. Also not on the track,” he stated.
“Christian was not really a friendly type. That was also because since 2010 we were building our own cars in Faenza, where I also lived.
“We had a chassis completely made in Italy. We only went to Milton Keynes to train on the simulator,” Alguersuari concluded.
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