Formula 1, as we know, is a fast-paced world. It only takes a small moment to go from being considered a champion by everyone to becoming the so-called “has-been.” Not only fans, but also members of the team a driver races for have made this jump in the history of the sport. One of the most famous teams in the circus is undoubtedly Red Bull, which throughout its history has burned many young drivers.
Jaime Alguersuari, Toro Rosso
One of the first examples is Jaime Alguersuari, a Spanish driver who, in 2009, at 19 years old, became the youngest driver in F1 history. In his second season, he began to show some good performances: three points finishes and almost all races completed at the edge of the points zone.
His third year would be even better. With a great second half of the season, he managed to accumulate 26 points by the end of the year. But just when he was showing important signs of growth and improvement at the age of 21, he was dropped without warning by the Red Bull hierarchy.
Sébastien Buemi and Jean-Éric Vergne, Toro Rosso
These two drivers had very similar careers, which, to make a comparison with the present, were not very different from Yuki Tsunoda‘s. Both raced for Toro Rosso without ever having a real chance to make the step up to the main team. After a career of ups and downs, mainly due to a car that wasn’t very competitive, they were pushed out of the circus, finding success in other competitions.
Daniil Kvjat, Red Bull-Toro Rosso
The Russian driver was one of the main drivers for the Milton Keynes team. He made his debut in 2014 with Toro Rosso without achieving sensational results. However, he managed to secure a spot in Red Bull alongside Daniel Ricciardo. His performances were quite good: in almost every GP, he managed to finish very close to, sometimes ahead of, the Australian driver, showing his speed.
In mid-2016, despite finishing third in China, he was demoted back to Toro Rosso to make way for Max Verstappen. From there, he was permanently moved out in 2017, only to return in 2020.
Pierre Gasly and Alexander Albon, Red Bull
The first to be analyzed is Pierre Gasly. The Frenchman made his Red Bull debut in 2019 after a fantastic year with Toro Rosso. However, his dream was short-lived. After 12 races, despite consistent performances, he too was demoted back to the junior team, where he achieved a sensational second place in Brazil.
The same story for Albon. Called in to replace Gasly, he was dismissed after just one year, in 2020. He ended up as a reserve driver, never having the opportunity to drive the English car except on rare occasions. However, both drivers, once they left the Red Bull family, found positions with other excellent teams that brought them various satisfactions.
Daniel Ricciardo
Daniel Ricciardo wasn’t exactly ruined by Red Bull, but the way he was treated led him to leave Milton Keynes. From 2014 to 2018, he was the protagonist of the team’s biggest and most important successes, managing to beat four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel in his first year.
However, the situation changed with Max Verstappen’s arrival. From the start, it was clear to everyone that the team wanted to prioritize the Dutch talent. Realizing this, relegated to second driver, Ricciardo left the team that had nurtured him in search of something else.
Lastly, of course, we have Sergio Perez and Liam Lawson, whose situations we all know. Neither of them manages to drive the Red Bull like Verstappen does. Looking at the results, it’s clear that these performances don’t represent the reality but are the result of a car that is built entirely around the number 1 driver’s characteristics.
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