'Red Bull sacked me in one-minute phone call — and I still don't understand why'

A former Formula 1 driver has revealed how he was axed by Red Bull in a one-minute phone call.

Back in 2009, Jaime Alguersuari became F1’s youngest-ever driver after he made his debut for Toro Rosso aged 19 years and 125 days.

However, that title is now owned by Max Verstappen, who made his debut for Toro Rosso at the age of just 17.

Alguersuari spent three years in the sport from 2009 to 2011, scoring 31 points from 46 races.

The Spaniard had hoped his performances would lead to a promotion to the Red Bull Racing team but that never materialised.

Speaking to Daily Star, Alguersuari revealed he rejected a move to Lotus as he hoped to make it at Red Bull.

He said: “I had a contract that was ending with Red Bull at the end of that season.

“Two months before the end of the season, I was asked by Lotus to drive for them in 2012 and become Kimi Raikkonen’s team-mate.

“The season went really well, but I didn’t sign the contract because it seemed obvious that, having been with Red Bull for six years - for me it was obvious, anyway – that doing what we were doing, beating my team-mate and getting the car into the top eight consistently, it was good enough to secure my place at Red Bull seat in 2012, because we thought Mark Webber was leaving.”

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Alguersuari went on to reveal that Red Bull told him he was being let go during a one-minute phone call.

He said: “That hurt a lot because it was the end of my career.

“It was a very quick phone call lasting just one minute. It was a very tough thing, and I didn’t understand why. I still don’t understand why even today.”

Alguersuari added: “The thing is, the two drivers who came after us [Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne] didn't beat our results. They upgraded one of them [Ricciardo] to Red Bull and he then came third in the world championship. I understand how F1 works, but I don’t really want to buy how they decided this, because it was not a sporting decision.

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“They played their cards, and I wasn’t smart enough to move out at the right time. I did have an opportunity to move in Abu Dhabi in 2011 – that was the contract I needed to sign – and that was the only opportunity I had to sign that contract. I didn’t sign it because I wanted to be faithful to the people who had helped me since I was 15.”

Alguersuari is now a DJ and music producer, he said: “I make music, I travel going into clubs and meeting new people and this is the person who I am. I don’t regret anything.”