Marko: Buemi and Alguersuari are not winners
In an interview with the Gazzetta dello Sport, Helmut Marko spoke about the dismissal of Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari as well as the policy implemented by Red Bull regarding Toro Rosso.
On December 14th, Scuderia Toro Rosso surprised the F1 world by announcing the replacement of its two main drivers, Jaime Alguersuari, who had replaced Sébastien Bourdais during the 2009 season, and Sebastien Buemi, who had started in Melbourne the same season. Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne, the two most prominent prospects from Red Bull’s “champion factory,” were promoted to take their places.
If Franz Tost, the director of the Italian team, explained this decision by stating that Toro Rosso is a school for beginners, Helmut Marko – who oversees the Red Bull program – is more direct: Toro Rosso was created to give young drivers a chance. Alguersuari and Buemi had it for three seasons, and after this period, it is possible to evaluate a driver’s progress.
The verdict is clear for Dr. Marko: « We saw no possibility of improvement with them. They are both brave, but for us that’s not enough: we need winners. » A pure product of Red Bull, Sebastian Vettel is currently making the brand’s glory days, having secured the title for two seasons and appearing as one of the very best drivers in the discipline for several years.
If Jaime Alguersuari’s future is very uncertain – after he refused the second seat at HRT – Sebastien Buemi’s future still involves Austria, as he has officially been designated the third Red Bull driver for 2012. A position that was previously held by Jean-Eric Vergne before him.
Regarding Toro Rosso, on which the former parent company still seems to have a certain influence, Helmut Marko does not foresee major developments in the future: It will certainly remain an Italian team based in Faenza, specializing in young drivers; however, he specifies that Toro Rosso must continue to develop more and more autonomously. Is taking independence linked to the renewal of the contract with Ferrari concerning engine supply? For now, the medium-term future is not clarified: The contract is valid for 2012. At this moment, I cannot say what will happen later, but so far, we are very satisfied with this collaboration.
After six seasons in the top category, the Italian team achieved its best result in 2008 when it finished sixth in the constructors’ standings. That season was marked by the pole position and victory attained by Sebastian Vettel at Monza. Since then, the team has not been able to do better than an eighth place in the standings, in 2011.
