Formula One news

'Qualifying is the toughest challenge' - Alguersuari

Having experienced three Formula One Grands Prix weekends so far, Jaime Alguersuari believes that qualifying strongly is a larger challenge than a full Grand Prix distance. The Spaniard, who replaced Sébastien Bourdais at Toro Rosso after the German Grand Prix, now looks forward to the challenge of Monza this weekend.

Barcelona's Alguersuari made history in Hungary this year by becoming the youngest ever driver to compete in an F1 race; five weeks on, the Catalan suffered from his first retirement, which came when being caught up in the first lap carnage at Spa-Francorchamps.

"At the moment I'm still very much in a development phase, coming into F1 at a time when there is no testing," Jaime explained. "Step-by-step, I'm getting there and every time I get in the car I learn more, improve my understanding and go faster. Generally, I'm happy with the way things are going.

Alguersuari continues to develop his skills in junior formulae, such as the FIA CIK Karting World Cup

"I'd say qualifying is the toughest challenge at the moment because you have to get everything absolutely spot on over just one lap with a specific type of tyre and specific fuel load; if you don't do a perfect lap on Saturday afternoon, your race is compromised and getting the best out of a new set of tyres is the hardest thing for a newcomer."

Alguersuari also continues to adapt to the added challenges F1 presents off the track, such as more extensive debriefs in the aftermath of races. How does Jaime rate his chances at rapid Monza for the Italian Grand Prix? "I'm looking forward to racing at Monza next weekend, as I enjoy the track and I've had good experiences there in the past," he concluded. "I just want to do a good job there and continue improving and going faster."

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