Alguersuari locks in Toro Rosso seat

Spaniard Jaime Alguersuari has been confirmed by the Scuderia Toro Rosso team as its second driver for this season.

Alguersuari will partner Sebastien Buemi in the second Red Bull-back Formula 1 team.

Alguersuari made his debut last year as the youngest driver ever to take part in a grand prix (19 years-old), when he replaced Sebastien Bourdais at Hungary.

Team chief Franz Tost said in a statement that Alguersuari did a solid job for the team at the end of 2009 and should build on his performances this year.

“Considering that he made his debut only halfway through 2009, at the Hungarian Grand Prix, with no prior testing, he did a good job, making steady progress throughout the second half of the year, with a mature approach considering he is still only nineteen years old,” said Tost.

“This season, he will again face a steep learning curve, as all the circuits in the first part of the season will be new to him. Jaime’s appointment also confirms our team’s commitment to bringing on graduates of the Red Bull Young Driver Programme.”

In other Formula 1 news, Autosport.com reports that Team US F1 will announce Jose Maria Lopez as its first driver for its maiden Formula 1 season at a press event in Argentina on later tonight.