Alguersuari: Alonso is more likely to win than Sainz

Jaime Alguersuari made his F1 debut midway through the 2009 season, succeeding Sebastien Bourdais at Toro Rosso. Then a very young Spaniard spent 46 Grand Prix for this team, but in December 2011 the management of the Red Bull race programs decided to completely change the composition.

This was an unpleasant surprise for Alguersuari, but now he assures that he has no grudge against Helmut Marko. Jaime completely changed his profession, professionally engaged in music and founded his own record company Anims, which has already released several of his albums.

At the same time, he continues to follow the events in the world of Formula 1, and even more so this year, as both Spanish racers, Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso, are now driving fast cars and can show good results.

“When you join the Red Bull family, they constantly remind you and emphasize one thing: ‘Anything that doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,’ Alguersuari told Marca newspaper. – I think so , because that experience really taught me a lot, I became a stronger, more energetic and maybe more mature person.

After 2011 I had little or no contact with Helmut Marko, but I really have to thank him, although many think he was hostile towards me. He always defended me and I believe he didn’t decide to kick me out. Thanks to Marco, I realized: whoever is not up to the task or is not smart enough, has to leave.

I mean, he always made me work under the toughest pressure, and thanks to this, I started to perform better. When I competed in British Formula 3, they said to me: “Either you become champion or you are excluded from the Red Bull youth program.” And I started winning more races.

But no one congratulated me on these achievements, did not throw parties on this occasion. And when I was in F1 for Toro Rosso the challenge was to finish 7th or 8th. In 2011 I was ahead of Sebastien Buemi on points and Daniel Ricciardo, who replaced me, earned less points than me for the next two seasons, but when he was transferred to Red Bull, he beat Sebastian Vettel there.

And I wonder: what criteria were guided by Red Bull? On what basis do they make decisions?.. I don’t understand. However, I can say that Formula 1 is ultimately no different from business and life in general in this respect.

But these are all things of a bygone era and Jaime has his own take on what is happening in Formula 1 now.

“I think it was quite clear last year that the Ferrari team was doing worse than its drivers,” Alguersuari continued. – Absolutely, the work of the Scuderia, the racing team has not reached the level of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. Maranello built the best car they could fight for the championship with, but then gave it to Red Bull themselves.

But now in Formula 1 there is no one who would perform at the level of Max Verstappen. I think his advantage is that he went through a very hard school, his father adhered to very specific teaching methods, and then Max fell into the clutches of another wolf, Helmut Marko, who only applauds such methods.

But now Verstappen has become different, as he was nicknamed Mad Max (“Mad Max”) in the early years, because he got into accidents all the time. But now it’s different.

Neither I nor Carlos Sainz were much liked by Red Bull. And we have more than others. I don’t know why, but I had this feeling. And it seems to me that Verstappen is treated better there than Vettel ever was.

Mainly because Sebastian is a normal person, in the sense that he had good relations with everyone, he smiled at everyone. And Max always has this face, as if he doesn’t like his partner, and he treats him without any compassion. In Vettel’s case, I’ve never felt that way. When I was suspended from the Red Bull program, Sebastian called me and asked how I was after everything that had happened. Not everyone did.

I don’t think Red Bull will maintain its advantage for the next two years. I think we are in for all sorts of surprises as the team should be hit hard by last year’s fine, which limits the time for aerodynamic research. Therefore, we will see its advantage gradually melt away, but this is exactly what is needed to make the championship more interesting.

I would like Aston Martin to be able to modernize their car effectively, and it already feels like this team knows what they are doing. I think they have a faster car than Ferrari and I believe Fernando Alonso could very well take his 33rd F1 win. He now has a greater chance of success than Carlos Sainz.”