Toro Rosso signed Sebastien Bourdais for a second season because the Frenchman showed promise on debut last year. That is the explanation of team boss and Red Bull magnate Dietrich Mateschitz as he took in the test action at Jerez on Wednesday.

Toro Rosso, Red Bull's secondary Formula One team, considered replacing 29-year-old Bourdais with the Japanese veteran Takuma Sato for this year, as the outfit looked into signing a driver with considerable commercial backing.

But Austrian billionaire Mateschitz, referring to former multiple Champ Car champion Bourdais, is quoted as saying by redbulletin.com: "When you invest in a driver for one year and he is doing reasonably well, it makes sense to work with him for another year.

"He has the potential to make the best of his second year.
Bourdais had some good races and very competitive qualifying sessions last season, but also some bad luck. Sato was doing well in testing, but he would have started where Bourdais started a year ago,” Mateschitz added.

Bourdais gets back behind the wheel of the STR3 today after two months out of the cockpit.

E.A, Source: GMM
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