The Spaniard, whose record as youngest driver ever to start a grand prix will be ceded to Dutch teen Max Verstappen in March, is still only 24 but was thrown on the F1 scrapheap three years ago.
Verstappen, who turned 17 in September, is gearing up for a debut with Red Bull-owned Toro Rosso, the Italian team that Alguersuari first drove for in 2009 aged 19 years and 125 days.
Now driving for Virgin Racing in the new all-electric Formula E series after losing his Formula One race seat in 2011, Alguersuari expects Verstappen to shine -- and have less of an immediate challenge than he did.
"I think Verstappen will do a good job, definitely," Alguersuari told Reuters by telephone from the Uruguayan resort of Punta del Este, where he finished fifth in the third "ePrix" of the inaugural Formula E season on Saturday.
"He will adapt quick, you will see as Kevin (Magnussen) did in McLaren. Formula One for rookies now is much different to what it was three, four or five years ago."
Since Alguersuari made his Hungarian Grand Prix debut, with some raising safety concerns about having such an inexperienced driver on track, much has changed.
The new V6 turbo hybrid-powered cars require less muscle to drive and a new generation of youngsters has emerged. Verstappen's team mate next year will be 20-year-old Spanish rookie Carlos Sainz.
"I think Formula One should be tough to drive, you should really struggle to drive," said Alguersuari.
"I remember training my neck every single day to hold my neck in Suzuka and Turkey and those places where it is so special to drive in F1.
"Nowadays...Formula One has become a big GP2 or a big World Series. So it's much more achieveable for young drivers."
The Spaniard, who is heavily involved in music production and used to DJ on the Ibiza club scene, had mixed feelings about the change.
"I have to tell you the truth, I do miss it," he said of Formula One. "But at the end of the day, if I look at the cars now I'm not sure I would have so much fun."
Formula E, he said, was a very different kind of racing but also full of potential and more open than Formula One where many drivers have to pay their way.
"This is a sport, more of a sport than a business," he said. "There are no people bringing millions to drive in this series. We are getting paid and this is becoming professional and I think this is how the sport should look like.
"I am very convinced this series has a long-term future...it's just a matter of time to see more or less the talent and pure speed."
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Martyn Herman.)
Share
