Fabio Leimer replaces Jaime Alguersuari for the London ePrix
Insufficiently recovered from his illness during the Moscow ePrix, Jaime Alguersuari is not authorized to participate in the season finale in London. It will be Fabio Leimer who will take over from the Spaniard at Virgin.
On the occasion of the Moscow ePrix, Jaime Alguersuari suffered a malaise due to dehydration coupled with exhaustion. This obviously required a new medical examination by FIA doctors to ensure that the driver was not at risk of ending up in the same situation again.
Although the results were positive, the Federation still temporarily suspended the driver’s license as they believed he would not be at 100%, as Jaime Alguersuari acknowledged on his Facebook page: « I am in good health and I am absolutely convinced that I could have raced this weekend; but, for safety reasons, we must comply with medical research. For this reason, with Virgin Racing and the FIA and the doctors, we have decided not to take part in the London ePrix weekend. »
The team was therefore forced to find a replacement for him, especially since they are still in the running to win both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ titles. They have decided to call on Fabio Leimer. The 2013 GP2 champion will thus return to competition, before potentially making his F1 debut with Manor, where he recently became a reserve driver.
Alex Tai, the team director, is pleased with his new recruit: “We are delighted to have a driver of Fabio’s quality and experience for the final race of the season in London. This weekend promises to be a fantastic end to a great championship. We are therefore looking forward to seeing Fabio and Sam finish the season in style.”
