Planet-F1

New reserve driver for Red Bull

Wednesday 1st July 2009

Spaniard Jaime Alguersuari will take over from Brendon Hartley as Red Bull's reserve driver at the German Grand Prix.

Hartley was appointed reserve driver at the end of 2008 and tested with Red Bull in December after Mark Webber broke his leg.

Red Bull, though, were forced to use former F1 driver David Coulthard as back-up for the opening races of the season after Hartley was unable to get his mandatory superlicence.

The New Zealander received his proper documentation in April and took over from Coulthard at the Spanish GP.

However, it will be all change again at the Nurburgring later this month, though, when Alguersuari replaces Hartley.

"With effect from the German Grand Prix, this role is now being taken on by Jaime Alguersuari, who replaces fellow Red Bull Young Driver, Brendon Hartley," a statement from the Milton Keynes-based team said.

"The 19 year old Spaniard, who became the youngest ever British F3 champion last year, is currently competing in the World Series by Renault.

"With the ban on in-season testing, Red Bull views the appointment of a third driver as part of its Young Driver training programme, allowing a driver to follow all activities of the F1 teams over a race weekend, attending technical briefings and listening in on the pit to car radio conversations.

"Having benefited from this experience over the first half of the year, Hartley will now concentrate on his own racing programme in the European F3 series."