Repsol to Back Jaime Alguersuari in Formula 1

Jaime Alguersuari

Spanish oil company Repsol is looking at the possibility of joining Formula 1 in the seasons to come. According to Spanish newspaper Marca, the company mostly know to worldwide motor racing fans due to its commitments inside the MotoGP might partner Red Bull in bringing one more Spanish driver in Formula 1 (most likely in 2010).

The driver everyone's talking about in Spain – except for Fernando Alonso, of course – is reigning British F3 champion Jaime Alguersuari. Considered by many “the next Alonso”, the 19-year old driver has already got his first taste of Formula 1 when test driving (shortly) for Red Bull Racing.

The Austrian energy drink company also seems willing to help Alguersuari make it to Formula 1 in the near future. According to the same media report from Marca, Red Bull will join efforts with Repsol for securing the Spanish teenager a racing spot inside the highly-competitive 2009 World Series by Renault.

With the in-season testing ban imposed by the FIA for 2009, Alguersuari will have no chance of testing for Red Bull until the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in early November. However, he is eligible for testing with the Milton Keynes-based team in the group tests scheduled for the late months of 2009.

As announced by the World Motor Sport Council earlier this week “teams will be allowed to carry out three one day young driver training tests between the end of the last event of the Championship and 31 December of the same year. Drivers are eligible only if they have not competed in more than two F1 World Championship Events in the preceding 24 months or tested a Formula One car on more than four days in the same 24 month period.”

Repsol have insisted, however, that their focus in motorsport competitions for the years to come remains on their MotoGP operations.