F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Traumatized Alguesuari still haunted by images of 'angry' Marko

Former Toro Rosso driver Jaime Alguersuari says the trauma he experienced as a Red Bull hopeful still lingers to this day as a result of "very strange" dreams, some of which involve an angry Helmut Marko.

In 2009, Alguersuari was a Red Bull supported young charger competing in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series when he was called up out of the blue by Marko to make his F1 debut with Toro Rosso at the Hungarian Grand Prix as Sebastien Bourdais' replacement.

At just 19 years and 125 days, the young Spaniard lined up on the grid at the Hungaroring as the youngest driver in F1 history.

And his tenure with Toro Rosso extended into 2010 and 2011, a period during which a pair of seventh place finishes represented his best results in the sport.

Unfortunately, although he had held his own against his Toro Rosso teammate Sebastien Buemi, Alguesuari's track record wasn't enough to keep him racing among motorsport's elite

A spell in Formula E in 2014 followed thereafter before he abruptly called it a day on his professional career in motorsport and indulged in his passion for music as a DJ.

In a recent interview with Spain's El Confidencial, Alguersuari admitted to have been "lucky to be helped by Red Bull for many years", although in retrospect he felt he was too young and inexperienced to have been chosen to take over Bourdais' seat at Toro Rosso in Hungary in 2009.

"You can’t say no because you don’t know when it’s going to happen again," Alguersuari explained.

"Red Bull feels in a way like your parents, because they are the ones who have paid for your career to race, and they make the decisions."

But just as a child cringes or trembles when a parent gets mad or points a finger of reproach, Alguesuari quivered whenever a grim Helmut Marko – a man who has made and broken many a driver's career in F1 - expressed a feeling of discontent.

Over ten years on from his forced exit from F1, Alguersuari still feels the pain of Red Bull's rejection down to his core.

"I tell you something – when I sleep, I still have very strange dreams of that time," he said.

"Especially about the impotence and the frustration of never making it, of seeing Mr. Marko always angry, telling us off. As if we were children.

"This has created a trauma – and I am convinced that Buemi and many others are also going through it.

"I have not been able to erase this. I have done therapy, when I retired several psychologists helped me… now, even so, strange things come to my head.

"And sometimes I wake up, like, crying, having dreamt of having done a great lap only to see the face of Mr. Marko, angry."

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.

Recent Posts

Marko: ‘No chance at all’ for Red Bull in Las Vegas

Helmut Marko believes that Red Bull and Max Verstappen are unlikely to challenge for victory…

1 hour ago

GM revives bid to join F1 with accelerated talks for 2026 entry

Automotive giant General Motors is reportedly back in the game as a potential entrant in…

3 hours ago

Las Vegas GP: Thursday's action in pictures

The opening day of running at the Las Vegas GP was a smooth but chilly…

4 hours ago

Williams' headaches persist into Vegas practice

Williams is continuing to fight uphill battles this weekend in Las Vegas as a knock-on…

5 hours ago

Ferrari's Sainz 'not satisfied with where we are' in Vegas

It was a solid start to the Las Vegas weekend for Ferrari with Carlos Sainz…

6 hours ago

Norris labels McLaren long-run pace ‘shocking’ in chilly Vegas

Lando Norris didn’t hold back in his assessment of McLaren’s performance on the opening day…

7 hours ago