Ex-Red Bull driver Jaime Alguersuari has criticised the Austrian team for the way drivers like himself and former team-mate Sebastian Buemi were treated, after the duo were dropped by Red Bull following the conclusion of the 2011 season.
Whilst Alguersuari has completely retired from racing, Buemi has gone on to become a multiple World Champion, with the Swiss driver having claimed the title in both Formula E and in the World Endurance Championship (WEC).
Buemi’s titles come despite having been told that himself and Alguersuari “weren’t winners” by Red Bull, something which has resulted in Alguersuari defending Buemi after the Swiss driver claimed victory on Sunday in the WEC Portimao 6 Hours.
The Spaniard believes Buemi could’ve won races and potentially even a world title in F1 had Red Bull kept him on the grid, with Alguersuari being “proud” of what the Toyota driver has gone on to achieve.
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“Just having breakfast and realised something…” Alguersuari wrote on Twitter.
“11 years ago, we were told we were being replaced because we weren’t winners… lets pls forget about me for a second but just while I’m having my coffee I found out Sebastien Buemi, my former teammate in F1 keeps on adding wins and trophies to his back.
“I forgot how many World titles he has already to his back and I’m not just happy and proud of him but, as time goes by, I realised how many race wins and maybe World titles he would’ve won at Red Bull racing F1.
“Again pls don’t judge me…This is only my personal view of my teammate Sebastien Buemi based on statistics and facts. I do not want to intend what my performance would’ve been… however it was also written! Ciao!”
Alguersuari’s comments come at a similar time to another ex-Red Bull driver, with Daniil Kvyat having revealed how he felt “betrayed” and “stabbed in the back” by the Austrians.
Kvyat was dropped from Red Bull to the sister team after just four races in 2016, with Max Verstappen having taken his place.
Alguersuari recent comments aren’t the first he’s made against Red Bull and the way drivers are treated, in particular by Dr Helmut Marko, who runs the Red Bull Junior programme.
The Spaniard shared last year that he still suffers from nightmares which he’s seeked psychology help for, with his dreams often including “Marko’s face”.
“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,” he told Spanish publication El Confidencial.
“I’ll tell you one thing: I still dream, when I sleep I have very strange dreams, very strange dreams of that whole time.
“Especially of the impotence and frustration of never getting there, of seeing Mr. Marko always angry, telling me off. As if we were children. I see myself like that.
“This has created a trauma, and I am convinced that [Sebastien] Buemi and many others are going through it too. I have not been able to clean this.
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“I have done therapies, and when I retired several psychologists helped me to deal with this to make a new life, but I wanted to deal with this to clean everything I had lived before.
“Now, even so, strange things come into my head. And sometimes I wake up like crying, when I’ve done a great lap, and I find Mr. Marko’s face and he’s angry.
“All this, since you are fifteen years old. Strange calls that hang up on you in a minute…”