The fired thread - Bourdais taking legal action, Piquet in danger

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The 2009 edition of F1's Worst Kept Secret is confirmed.

Autosport
Alguersuari confirmed at Toro Rosso

By Pablo Elizalde Monday, July 20th 2009, 08:17 GMT

Scuderia Toro Rosso has confirmed Spaniard Jaime Alguersuari will make his Formula 1 racing debut at the Hungarian Grand Prix this weekend.

The 19-year-old will become the youngest driver to participate in a grand prix in the history of the sport.

Alguersuari replaces Frenchman Sebastien Bourdais at the wheel of the second car, partnering Swiss racer Sebastien Buemi.

"I would like to thank Red Bull for giving me this great opportunity to race in Formula 1," he said. "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 1 is never easy, coming into Formula 1 in the middle of a season is even harder and doing so without any testing is really difficult. But already I feel that I am getting great support from the team, who have quite a reputation for looking after rookie drivers."

Team boss Franz Tost said the Faenza-based squad was not expecting anything from the Spaniard.

"Red Bull's stated aim for Scuderia Toro Rosso is that, when possible, it should be used to provide a seat for products of its Young Driver Programme," he said. "We therefore chose Alguersuari as the most mature driver currently in the programme.

"I am well aware that over the next few months the team and Jaime will face a major challenge, especially because of the testing ban. But Red Bull is always ready for a new challenge.

"I do not expect anything from him for at least his first three races, during which he has to get used to the car, the team and to the Formula 1 environment."

Youngest drivers to race in Formula 1:

Code: 
     Age       Driver               Debut
 1.  19 04 05  Jaime Alguersuari    2009-Hungary
 2.  19 05 29  Mike Thackwell       1980-Canada
 3.  19 06 27  Ricardo Rodriguez    1961-Italy
 4.  19 07 03  Fernando Alonso      2001-Australia
 5.  19 10 14  Esteban Tuero        1998-Australia
 6.  19 10 20  Chris Amon           1963-Belgium
 7.  19 11 14  Sebastian Vettel     2007-USA
 8.  20 01 22  Eddie Cheever        1978-South Africa
 9.  20 01 22  Jenson Button        2000-Australia
10.  20 02 12  Tarso Marques        1996-Brazil
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http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/77091
 
Well, if Friday Practice will be the first time he drives a Formula One Car, we could have another Yuji Ide!
 
Ardius
Good results of course, but the statement I disagree with is that Piquet is a better driver than Bourdais. Its close but I wouldn't say Piquet is so perfect himself. And to compare them this year is a little difficult considering one is underperforming in a better car than the other, they are both underperforming though.
Bourdais is a better driver outside of F1 at least.
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I never said he was perfect - I said he was more talented than Bourdais... and I still believe that to be true...

The Torro Rosso car has been better than the Renault most of the season - perhaps the last two races maybe not - but this weekend it will more than likely be better again.

C.
 
PeterJB
Well, if Friday Practice will be the first time he drives a Formula One Car, we could have another Yuji Ide!
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He hasn't even done a test in an F1 car?

How does the FIA not question his superlicense when they questioned Kimi's back in 2001 even though he had done some tests in the winter?
 
Because their isn't any testing this is the best they can do. Even if he was confirmed as STR's Test Driver before the season started he still wouldn't have driven an F1 car in over four months.
 
I believe that Bourdais should have at least finished the season. Having a kid take the leap into F1 is dangerous. Even the slightest mistake could ruin his race and possibly anyone in the vicinity. This weekend is going to scare the living daylights out of poor Jaime.
 
^Well, its not that bad, but it is interesting seeing as he has no GP2 or F2 experience or any higher formula experience. He is a little out of his depth admittedly, but I guess money talks.

mipuumal
He hasn't even done a test in an F1 car?

How does the FIA not question his superlicense when they questioned Kimi's back in 2001 even though he had done some tests in the winter?
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And now people realise why I've been saying they should have kept Bourdais....even if he's not pulling the results, it would help having whatever little experience they do have in the team to evaulate the new aero package, but I guess Franz Tost knows best doesn't he? :indiff:
 
mipuumal
How does the FIA not question his superlicense when they questioned Kimi's back in 2001 even though he had done some tests in the winter?
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I read somewhere that a series win at a high enough level gives you an automatic super licence...

C.
 
mipuumal
How does the FIA not question his superlicense when they questioned Kimi's back in 2001 even though he had done some tests in the winter?
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Because one of the qualifications for a Super Licence is to be the reigning champion in British, Italian, Japanese or Euroseries F3, regardless of F1 experience. Jamie is the current British F3 champ, and thus qualifies. Kimi's came under exceptional circumstances, which requires all FIA members to vote unanimously, and have completed 300km of race speed testing.
 
www.updateF1.com
If Nelson Piquet's future was previously only in doubt, it is now a near certainty that the 23-year-old will never return to the cockpit of a Renault.

The Brazilian said team boss Flavio Briatore, who is believed to have told Piquet in Budapest last weekend that he has been ousted in favour of reserve Romain Grosjean, only cares about profits and "doesn't understand **** about F1".

"He is my manager. But in his role of team boss he doesn't respect me," Piquet told the Italian magazine Autosprint.

"He only thinks about money, about how much money he can pocket in everything he's involved with. He's a man with no friends."

The outburst followed Briatore's claim that Piquet had "opened the booked of excuses" to explain his struggle to get up to speed in F1 since making his debut early last year.

"When a driver lacks results, he opens the book of excuses and begins, 'the fault is the weather, a spectator's sunglasses, a spin on the straight, this and that'," Briatore said.

"It's not true that there's a technical difference of seven tenths between Alonso's and Piquet's car.

"If that was true, we'd have a car capable of winning the title. And that unfortunately isn't the case," he added.
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Full article: http://formula-1.updatesport.com/ne...one/F1gossip/Piquet-slates-Briatore/view.html


So, goodbye Piquet Jr.?
 
Only now this leaked internationally? Piquet said that before the last GP, after Briatore gave an interview to some Brazilian reporters.
 
Yenrot
So next year could we have Leob, Senna and Schumacher...?
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Loeb - no, he's said he's probably going to sign a new contract with Citroen for next season.
Senna - maybe
Schumacher - no, too old and he's only a temporary replacement. Then again, he may do a Mansell....
 
Only_in_f1
Whats that? Get really fat and pull out not being able to fit inside the car?
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nige1.jpg


My arse would have be this small to fit in this car!
 
I don't have a link right now, but Piquet is no more. He's been dropped, though there's no word on who will replace him (most likely the reason why there hasn't been an official announcement as yet). Speculation is that Grosjean will step up to the plate because he's Renault's test driver, much like Jaime Alguersuari did for Toro Roso.
 
I'm glad Piquet is put out of his misery so that he can move on to the sport he performs better in 👍
 
So if Piquet Sr. does buy BMW, who will be Piquet Jr's teammate...


I hear Bourdais is available:sly:
 

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