MARCH 30, 2012

Alguersuari and Di Grassi share Pirelli work

Jaime Alguersuari will join Lucas di Grassi as a Pirelli tyre tester in 2012 after being left without a drive when he and Sebastien Buemi were dropped by Toro Rosso at the end of last year.

Jaime Alguersuari will join Lucas di Grassi as a Pirelli tyre tester in 2012 after being left without a drive when he and Sebastien Buemi were dropped by Toro Rosso at the end of last year.

Both drivers will drive Pirelli's latest test car - a 2010 Renault R30 - in four development tests this year, at Jerez, Spa, Monza and Barcelona between May and September.

The tests will define the 2013 range of Pirelli tyres, which will have new compounds and structures, as well as trying out compound developments that could be seen later this season.

Alguersari, now an expert analyst for BBC Radio Five Live at grands prix, said: "I'm very happy indeed to have this fantastic opportunity. A week ago it was my birthday, when I turned 22, and now Pirelli has given me the best possible present. I can't wait to get started. I have a huge desire to get behind the wheel of an F1 car again and return to competition, so this is a brilliant chance for me."

Pirelli's motorsport director Paul Hembery added: "Lucas will provide us with the reference point that we need from the development programme so far, while Jaime brings an extra dimension from his experience of racing at the sharp end of the field throughout the last three seasons.

"We're going to be using the drivers for all of our single-seater testing activities, including GP2 and simulator development as well. With opportunities for young drivers to drive an F1 car so limited, this is a great chance for Lucas and Jaime to not only hone their testing and development skills, but also to potentially follow our former test drivers like Romain Grosjean, Pedro de la Rosa and Nick Heidfeld in returning to F1 or another top flight programme in future."