Only six months after being replaced at Toro Rosso alongside his then team-mate Sebastien Buemi by Jean-Eric Vergne and Daniel Ricciardo, Spanish driver Jaime Alguersuari will return to the cockpit of a Formula 1 car this coming week as he tests for Pirelli in the 2010 Renault R30 (photo).
The 22-year-old Spaniard had raced in F1 since the middle of the 2009 season, when he made his debut at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix. Throughout 2010 and 2011, Alguersuari remained at the Italian outfit, trying to replicate the previous success of Sebastian Vettel at the team. However, now Jaime Alguersuari is the test driver for F1’s tyre supplier Pirelli, along with fellow former F1 driver Lucas di Grassi.
Next week at the Circuito de Jerez in Spain, Jaime Alguersuari will complete in several days of testing for Pirelli as they aim to test new compounds for F1. The Pirelli tyres have undoubtedly revolutionized Formula 1 in recent years, making tyre management the most important aspect of some races.
“No one can imagine my enthusiasm in this very moment.” Explained a jubilant Jaime Alguersuari, “I’m just counting down the minutes to be behind the Wheel of the most sophisticated machinery of the World. I could never imagine that I was going to miss so much the taste of Formula One. I want to state my gratitude to Pirelli for their confidence, having had other options, and I’ll try to do the best job for them! Alongside this role I will keep my post with BBC Radio 5 Live. I am really grateful to them for giving me the opportunity of joining such a professional team. I’m a happy man.”
After the Jerez test, three other tests are scheduled across the year at Spa-Francorchamps, Monza and Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya.
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