Formula One news

Alguersuari confirmed as Bourdais replacement

Scuderia Toro Rosso have confirmed that Spain's Jaime Alguersuari will be drafted into the seat previously held by Sébastien Bourdais for the rest of the 2009 season. Alguersuari, current test and reserve driver for both Red Bull teams and reigning British Formula 3 Champion, will become the youngest driver in F1 history.              

The Spaniard has been competing in the World Series by Renault this year

Having driven the Ferrari-powered Toro Rosso STR4 for the first time in a straight-line test in Italy last Thursday, 19-year-old Alguersuari from Barcelona was confirmed as the much suspected stand-in at the Faenza-based team after the unscheduled departure of the Frenchman.

The youngest driver title of Hungary will renew a 29-year-old record as Jaime beats Tyrrell driver Mike Thackwell's statistic of being F1's youngest pilot to date, held by the Englishman since 1980.

"I would like to thank Red Bull for giving me this great opportunity to race in Formula One," said Alguersuari. "Ever since I started racing this has been my dream and, thanks to the Red Bull Junior Programme, I will now realise my ambition of lining up on a Grand Prix grid. I am aware that I'm facing a very tough challenge because coming into Formula One is never easy - coming into Formula One in the middle of a season is even harder and doing so without any testing is really difficult but I already feel that I am getting great support from the team, who have quite a reputation for looking after rookie drivers."

Having clinched the British Formula 3 title for Carlin Motorsport in 2008, Jaime has spent this year racing in the team's Renault's World Series car and finished third in his last race in the championship at Le Mans on Sunday.

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