Interview with Jaime Alguersuari

[Aerond]

Today in As.com there's a great interview with Alguersuari; couldn't help to translate it to English;

—We are in Montecarlo, which you know from Formula One. How's the Formula E adventure?

— The beggining of the season hasn't been what we wanted because we've had many technical problems. We haven't been able to do a clean race yet. Little by little the engineers and the whole team are understanding how to be efficient, because in Formula E we don't think only about being fast. It's a totally new challenge

—You have to surrender to that technology but, do you really enjoy this car?

It's different. Starting with the tyres, we use a normal one, with the same compound for the whole weekend and it's more low profile, that makes us attack the kerbs less... the driving is more formal

Is it hard to drive that way?

Yes. If you come from F1 you have a tyre which allows you to do anything. Then the car is heavier and you have less downforce, which makes it harder to drive. And then there's the power, which is electric. That's why being regular matters, you can't drive at the limit and get done with the energy. It's not a worse or better driving but it is different. It's looking into the future for change

You are like guinea pigs, being in this new project. How do you feel about that?

I believe in Formula E. It's a project for the future, but we are pro drivers. We have to pay our bills at the end of the month and Formula 1 is not there to do so, because you know the current climate. Motorsport is worse than ever and it needed to have a future for pro drivers

But the F1 door... have you left it open, even if a tiny bit?

No... and that's been a mistake, I know. It was my mistake to keep thinking that I'd be back to F1, keep on dreaming when some teams told me that we had a deal and in the end they only wanted money, and it was a mistake to believe in the epicness of motor racing and consider that F-1 is a sport. And now I see and I think that I should have gone to endurance racing, or other championships when I was fresh from F-1. I signed as a Pirelli test driver because I thought I would be important for the teams, to evolve the tyres... We came from a very good season, I think we still have the record of points in a single season for Toro Rosso... It's easy to say it now, but at that moment I was convinced that I was an active driver and I thought I would be back in F-1. And I had the chance, but I though it was a sport and it isn't. But not only for me, it was the same for many drivers and sponsors, and that's why I don't want to be involved anymore

For real, you don't want to be back in F-1?

Yes. Even if tomorrow I found a sponsor (which I'm not looking for), if I had the money, I would be tricking myself because I'd know that I'd depend on that sponsor, and the day that sponsor is gone I'd be gone too. And again, how do I pay the bills at the end of the month? I want to keep a job where I can evolve and where they believe in me, where I can lead a project and feel that I'm useful and not just a tiny piece of the map

It's sad to see a young man so disappointed

Look, I'm 25 and I've been in F-1, I've seen what it's in there, and I've had in my hands a car capable of being in top 10, and I know that the guy who was leading and the guy who was in 2nd place had 150 points more of downforce than me, and that what makes a guy look like a superhero and another guy look like a mediocre driver simply is 150 points of downforce. Of course there's differences between drivers, but we're not talking about Moto GP, golf, athletics, we are not talking about a normal sport! I'm realistic. I put myself 100% into my job, I love making music at home and I give a 100% at everything in life. I'm not saying that I'm best out there, but I know that I do everything the best I can. I don't trick myself anymore, I did in the past thinking that F-1 is an epic world, when I saw MIchael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso, when I was in Red Bull and I saw them winning championships and I dreamt about F-1. But I fooled myself and it's too late now and the chances are gone. Obviously I still feel gutted about what happened and now when I think about F-1 is like that old girlfriend you must forget about. It's very disappointing to talk like this about something that I loved so much

So, when you sleep now you dream about music and not cars...

Yes, that's the only thing that motivates me to keep on, experience different things. I love driving and cars, but making music I feel complete. I feel free. I get into the studio, nobody sees me, nobody's listening and it's me, and a computer where I can produce the sounds that complete me. It helps me when I'm sad and when I'm happy. I don't wanna fool myself, I'm not working to earn lots of money, I just wanna live life 100% because, unfortunately, it's a risky job, our poor friend Jules is fighting for his life, which is something nobody could predict. What is life? What is money? And that's why I'm romantic, I still think that F-1 in the 80s and the 90s it was a true sport, or a different sport at least, it sure had its own dark side, but it was a different thing

But now, when you watch F-1 races, I don't know if you still look at that blue car with a red bull painted in the chassis

I don't watch them anymore

I don't believe it

Yes, I don't watch them anymore. And if I'm sincere, my time as a commentator in Movistar TV, where they treated me in a great way and obviously I wish the best for them, it was a hard one. Because psychologically for me it was tough, it was tough to lie and make a living out of something that I knew it's not true. Obviously and coming back to the question, I used to look about what the Toro Rosso guys were doing, I've seen they've improved the car a lot, that they have more money, they've bought new facilities in Faenza, they have more engineers and now is a bigger team where you can fight to be in Top 10. And I wish the best to Carlos because when I raced in Inter A in Spain he started in karting and is a guy who, apart from an incredible talent, I think he has that something to make it through; he has the opportunity, the car and the talent and now he has to use his head to one day have the chance to become world champion

What about Alonso?

About Fernando, well, I know there's been loads of controversy about the team switch, but I don't think it was a mistake to leave Ferrari. When you are in a place where it's not enough to be 2nd or 3rd and you want to win again you need to try something different. And when you see that Honda is going to enter F-1, with all their force, then you decide to try someplace new. I, if I had been in his place, I'd sure have tried a change in my life. In a Ferrari, obviously I could have won a few races, but it's more about the feeling that yoy want to dominate again, and then you have to bet high. Like Alonso. In life you have to take risks.

[shinji]

Some of that is heartbreaking, he seems so utterly disenchanted with Formula One as a concept and so unfulfilled by the experiences he had. Chewed up and spit out by Red Bull and the F1 machine, it must feel terrible to achieve your goal of getting on the grid and finding out it's not what you hoped.

[dr-baker]

That was a fascinating interview to read. Thank you for translating and posting it.

[watka]

Wow, that interview seems quite emotional! Does seem that F1 has no place for fun, as a driver you are constantly fighting for your lives. As for sportscars, there are more teams and 2-3 drivers per car, so job security is much higher.

[DemocalypseNow]

Wow, that interview seems quite emotional! Does seem that F1 has no place for fun, as a driver you are constantly fighting for your lives. As for sportscars, there are more teams and 2-3 drivers per car, so job security is much higher.

I think getting a long-term gig with a manufacturer is quickly becoming the ultimate goal of those who wish to be professional racing drivers. If you aren't one of the Top 4 guys on the planet in Formula 1, you aren't going to earn a dime there. Either you're on 20 million a season or nothing at all. If you can lock down a contract with a car manufacturer with fingers in many pies, and you can earn a renewal at the end of your first contract period, you are set for a long time. A pro "factory" driver will get a pretty diverse range of series and locations to drive (look at how many Audi drivers have crossed over between ALMS, ELMS, DTM, WEC, etc).

It sounds like that may even be Alguesuari's biggest regret of his career - not putting enough effort into landing such a deal, instead focusing relentlessly on finding an open window back into F1. You look at guys like McNish, he spent almost his entire senior career being paid to drive by either Porsche or Audi. I imagine it's why there are so many series veterans in DTM - why leave when you are getting paid well to do something you find fun?