Bourdais Retains Toro Rosso Seat

Torro Rosso has made a good call on resigning Sébastien Bourdais for the upcoming season. Despite a difficult start, the Frenchman acquitted himself well with some stirring end of season drivers. They may not have been as noticeable as team-mate Vettel’s – but he did show that he was worthy of a second chance.

With another Sebastian – Beumi, joining Torro Rosso, at least the team only have to remember surnames! Seriously though, Bourdais was the better choice between him and Sato. Beumi has shown raw pace in the end of season tests. But that often isn’t enough. Despite entering only his second year, Bourdais brings a wealth of experience to the table after an extremely successful stint racing in the US.

As for Sato, well, he is still an unknown quantity. When I read reports about him being in the frame, it was more to do with money than skill. That is never a good sign. Perhaps Honda’s pull-out had a ripple effect on his own chances of securing a seat. Another name mentioned was Jenson Button, following Honda’s pull-out. At this stage, Button is obviously clinging in desperate hope that Superman flies in to save the team.

Back when this all kicked off, Bourdais said he wasn’t keen on waiting. Could you blame him? While talented, he isn’t a spring chicken anymore. It would have been a shame to see him return to the US. His gradual improvement earned him a spot on the 2009 grid in my view.

I’m guessing the economic downturn somewhat played into his hands. With money being tight, chances of getting a seat in the IRL would have been limited. Even his old team, Newman-Hass-Lanigan, is struggling to have more than one car running this year. Chances are, Bourdais had no choice but to wait.

Nice that it paid off for him. Now he has to deliver. He is sitting on a pressure cooker and must perform if he is to have a long term future in the sport.