Post here all non technical related topics about Formula One. This includes race results, discussions, testing analysis etc. TV coverage and other personal questions should be in Off topic chat.
I think Bourdais is the best choice, was never impressed with Sato. However, check out the translations available at the bottom right of the http://www.scuderiatororosso.com/ page. English, German, Italian, and Japanese. No French I'd bet Sato is it.
Conceptual wrote:I would hire Bourdais, but maybe the team sees him as a crybaby?
If he doesn't drive next year, he never will again.
I agree.
Have we had any press relaeases yet about a name for the job? Testing is starting for Buemi so I would expect that the other driver might want to get some seat time?
Jan.22 (GMM) Reports in the Swiss and French press on Thursday suggest Sebastien Bourdais will shortly be confirmed as Toro Rosso's second race driver for the 2009 season.
The 29-year-old Frenchman raced with the Faenza based team last year, but so far only the Swiss rookie Sebastien Buemi has been confirmed for the forthcoming season.
2009 would therefore be Bourdais' second season in formula one, following his mixed debut, when he finished the championship with just 4 points compared with his Red Bull-bound teammate Sebastian Vettel's 35.
It is reported by the Swiss magazine Speedweek, with close links to the team's owner Red Bull, that Toro Rosso selected Bourdais over the other candidate for the seat, Takuma Sato.
The French website sport24.com speculated that Sato's expected personal sponsorship may have dwindled as the Japanese recession worsens.
Bourdais' manager Nicolas Todt would not confirm the news but insisted that "we are always in negotiations".
Moreover, the official website of the Ferrari-powered team is now showing Bourdais and Buemi as the drivers in the 'team' section.
Simon: Nils? You can close in now. Nils?
John McClane: [on the guard's phone] Attention! Attention! Nils is dead! I repeat, Nils is dead, ----head. So's his pal, and those four guys from the East German All-Stars, your boys at the bank? They're gonna be a little late.
Simon: [on the phone] John... in the back of the truck you're driving, there's $13 billon dollars worth in gold bullion. I wonder would a deal be out of the question?
John McClane: [on the phone] Yeah, I got a deal for you. Come out from that rock you're hiding under, and I'll drive this truck up your ass.
Top job M3 Lover - I am glad to hear that Sebastien will get another bite of the cherry.
Good luck to him..I think he will have the edge over Buemi anyways so hopefully a confidence building year and a year where he can show his undoubted talents.
The word in F1 circles is that Scuderia Toro Rosso has done the intelligent thing and will retain Sebastien Bourdais in 2009. The Frenchman will help the Austrian drinks company expand its market in France and will provide the team with some continuity and experience alongside the new boy Sebastien Buemi. If confirmed this is great news for Bourdais as he was not able to show his full potential in F1 last year as he was learning the ropes and then had a series of misfortunes when he was getting up to speed.
This means that the only drives theoretically still available are the two Hondas and while Jenson Button is certain to get one seat, the other remains open. It is not yet clear what Bruno Senna is up to because his name is not being mentioned much in GP2 circles, but it could be that the plan is for him to join Button in the team.
If the team does not survive - and this must remain a possibility until Honda makes an announcement to the contrary - then Button will be on the driver market and we might see one of the top teams making a grab for his services.
Well, if that is the case I think they have done the right thing. I would feel very badly for Bourdais if he didn't get another chance in an F1 cockpit. While he was certainly out-shined by his younger couterpart in '08, a direct comparison was never fair from the onset. Vettel had another year of experence and is in my opinion is a very rare tallent. In addition Bourdais suffered some auful luck ( he was running in 4th or 5th in Melbourn before his engine expired with about 5 laps left, not to mention the penality for his comming together with Massa(?) in Singapore). Were it not for these he would have had at least another 8 or 10 points. Besides, this team needs some continuity in their driver line up especialy in light of Buemi's age (or absence of).
“It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so" - Mark Twain
In F1, I had the feeling the Bourdais was under-rated. Being in Europe, so not having big opportunities to follow his American career, I started to like him. It seems a smart driver, which outclassed his competitors with a good car and setup, speed when needed and a good control over his pace and fuel burn rate.
Yes, last year was unlucky sometimes. But starting mid-season he was better. Now is his real opportunity to do something in F1. Is "make or break" season for him, so I keep my fingers crossed to have a competitive car in the mid-field.
Im shure that if Bourdais didnt get that bit of bad lick at Monza on the starting grid, he would have overtaken HK and it would have been a STR 1-2 finish. At least it would have been a STR 1-3 finish. Altho Alonso and Kubica would have pushed him hard in the later stages, if he was on a simmilar strategy to Vettel on that race, he would have finished very nicely in the points picking a good hatful up.
Bourdais will prove a better racer this season, showing to the F1 public that he is the driver he is, quality.
And on the fuel burn rates, i read that Bourdais is so good that he saves at least 1 lap of fuel every stint, and is one of the best at conserving fuel in the race.
This is going to play into STR's hands beautifully.
With the RB5/STR4 set to launch in a few days, these cars should suit Bourdais very well.
Remember, he is the only driver on the grid with push-to-pass experience, and something tells me that the 2009 F1 cars will be less aero sensitive and thus more like the cars he won 4 championships in.
If Newey pulls a rabbit out, the Red Bull teams may be hard to beat in 09!
I've been routing for Sea Bass ever since he starting knocking on the door. Paul Tracy tested for Benetton and Flav tried to sign him to a contract right away, but he went off and won some titles in the states. The fact the Bourdais beat him hands down and made Tracy look slow, should have been an automatic ticket to F1 in my opinion. He would have been better to get as a younger driver, but even at 29 he's still got the chops and time to get to the top.
I think unfortunately that Michael Andretti made no teams want to even look at drivers from the American open wheel series.
Montoya excepted of course.
Before I do anything I ask myself “Would an idiot do that?” And if the answer is yes, I do not do that thing. - Dwight Schrute
I think/ hope, that Bourdais will show he merits the faith everyone seems to place in him. For my part I'd say he is the right choice for several reasons: good potential from debut & end of 2008 (although the middle of the year was crap), and at least a bit of continuity for STR's ingineers working on the set-up... But with all of his speaking about how much he is good on slicks, and push to pass, and less-aero sensitive car etc, I fear for the harsh backslash of the stick if he doesn't meet expectations right from the start of the season...
On his fansite, people are crazy, with a game of weirdest celebration pics ever lol
I'd bet Sato is it.
