After just a season in Formula one, Sebastien Bourdais' immediate future in the series seems clouded.

The 29-year-old Frenchman, a multiple recent champion in the now defunct Champ Car World Series, raced for Toro Rosso in 2008 but on Monday did not feature on the FIA's official entry list for the forthcoming season with the team commenting recently that they are in no hurry to select their second driver.

According to earlier rumours from the US however, Bourdais was being considered by the Team Penske IndyCar team as a possible replacement for Helio Castroneves.

But Penske said on Tuesday that Australian driver Will Power is to replace Castroneves in testing while the Brazilian is engaged with a tax evasion court case.


Bourdais' old Champ Car team Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing, now racing in IndyCar, had been suggested as another alternative for Bourdais, but Dutchman Robert Doornbos is now widely believed to have secured the team's second seat.

Another IndyCar seat at HVM remains vacant for 2009.

E.A, Source: GMM
© CAPSIS International

 

He seems like a nice guy. Last year wasn't good to him.

Best of luck to him this year.

 

It's unfortunate for him because he's a great driver. But with sponsorship money drying up, auto racing is going to be bracing for a steep downturn in the crappy economy that we're facing.

 

sadly Bourdais seems like the best driver to be scapegoated in F1 due to the bad economy its a shame really because i think he's much better than most of the veteran drivers on the grid he just had the sad coincidence of being team mates with the young German phenomenon known as Vettel

 

It's a tough spot for Bourdais to be in, but hopefully if Honda gets resurrected, he'll have his spot back at RBR.