Spaniard to make Formula One history in Hungary

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In what’s already been a crazy Formula One season comes the announcement that the youngest driver in F1 history plans to make his debut Sunday in Hungary -- much to the chagrin over some other drivers.

Jaime Alguersuari -- a Spaniard who will be 19 years, 126 days old Sunday -- was tapped to replace Frenchman Sebastien Bourdais on the Toro Rosso team, starting with the Hungarian Grand Prix. Bourdais was dropped from the team earlier this month.

‘I know I am not really experienced,’ Alguersuari told a news conference today at the Hungaroring track near Budapest. ‘I know I need some mileage in the car, and that is what we are here for. I think as I said before that this is a new car for me, a new championship for me. I need to learn, and I need to have experience.’

But some drivers said a Formula One race was hardly the place to cut your teeth.

‘I’ve never been a big fan of Formula One being a learning school, but it seems like it is these days,’ said Mark Webber, the Australian who drives for Red Bull, Toro Rosso’s sister team. ‘I don’t think Formula One is a learning school. When you arrive in Formula One you should be ready.’

Webber won the series’ most recent race, the German Grand Prix, his first victory in Formula One after 132 previous starts in his eight-year career.

Formula One this year already has seen the surprising success of the new Brawn GP team, along with Red Bull, at the expense of stalwarts McLaren Mercedes and Ferrari, along with a threatened civil war between the teams and F1’s leadership.

--Jim Peltz