Red Bull arguably has one of the best junior driver programs in F1. Almost all of the drivers who have driven for them or their sister team AlphaTauri as of late belonged to their academy at some point. Well, all but one. Current Red Bull driver Sergio Perez is the only driver in the team’s recent history who wasn’t a part of their driver academy. This made former Toro Rosso driver Jamie Alguersuari claim that their junior academy has failed.
Founded in 2001, the Red Bull Academy has always had a vast pool of talent. They help several young drivers showcase their talent, and find their way into F1. The likes of Max Verstappen, Sebastian Vettel, and Daniel Ricciardo have all risen through the ranks at Red Bull’s junior academy to become the stars they are today.
no like y’all don’t get the implications of this pic, checo was the only driver who wasn’t part of their junior academy but was an actual red bull driver pic.twitter.com/GpEViuDCXj
— iv (@farfromfilm) July 11, 2023
Alguersuari himself was part of the Red Bull Junior Team from 2006 to 2009. Thereafter he had a short stint with Toro Rosso (now AlphaTauri) for three years, between 2009 and 2011. According to him, Red Bull choosing a driver like Perez, who has no association with their junior program, proves that the academy has fallen from grace.
Recruiting Sergio Perez is a clear sign of failure for the Red Bull Academy
Alguersuari appeared on the Sky Sports F1 Podcast where he was asked if he thought that the Red Bull management has become more lenient with their drivers. Talking along those lines, he admitted that the Red Bull academy is definitely not as strong as it was once,
Alguersuari explained that Red Bull invests millions of dollars in junior drivers to support them throughout their careers. If they perform well, they get a shot at F1 by driving for AlphaTauri. Upon impressing for their sister team, they may get the chance to represent their main team at the biggest stage too.
“The fact that Checo Perez is driving for the Red Bull racing team, is quite clear the Red Bull Junior team in not successful anymore” 👀
Jaime Alguersuari gives his thoughts on the Red Bull Junior Team 👇
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) July 18, 2023
However, despite investing so much money in a vast pool of young drivers, Red Bull had to go out of their way and recruit a driver from outside. Hence, Sergio Perez’s signing in 2021 shows that the Red Bull Junior Team is not working like it should be.
Nevertheless, Alguersuari added that he has immense respect for Sergio Perez and the work that he is putting in. According to the Spanish driver, “I know the job that he has now is a very difficult job. Because Max is an extraordinary driver. Probably the best driver in the world now.”
🚨 | Red Bull wants to considerably reduce its Junior Team squad size for 2024 ( currently there are 12 Juniors)
Red Bull only wants to invest in the really promising talents
[@andihaupt1] pic.twitter.com/E9yDojcqFJ
— RBR Daily (@RBR_Daily) July 11, 2023
The Current Red Bull Junior Team
The Red Bull Junior Team currently features a plethora of drivers racing in different motorsports categories. This includes five drivers currently competing in Formula 2. And also younger talents who are part of Formula 3 and 4.
The Red Bull Junior Team definitely has its fair share of pros and cons. The biggest pro of signing for their program is that talents have a better of shot of making it to F1 with them. They are the only F1 outfit to have four seats locked in their favor on the grid- two with Red Bull and two with their sister team AlphaTauri.
However, the problem lies in the number of drivers they have at the moment. Because of their huge pool, Red Bull has often resorted to sacking drivers ruthlessly. To make way for newer drivers, existing talents aren’t given a lot of time to prove themselves.
