Bourdais - "Maybe in '08"

By Andrew Cutler
December 13 2006

Three-time Champ Car champ Sebastien Bourdais has caused alot of speculation with his recently announced test for Scuderia Toro Rosso, which began today at Jerez. Now he has come out and said that any talk of him making the jump to F1 in 2007 is premature.

The current test was set up for Bourdais by Nicolas Todt, son of Ferrari's Jean Todt, who also is the manager to Ferrari driver Felipe Massa. Sebastien is using the test to get a "feel" for the current F1 cars and to show off his abilities infront of the collected group of F1 teams - and managers. While he hopes that this opportunity will lead to others, he is not hoping for anything to happen in time for the 2007 season.

"The first thing I must emphasise is that I will defend my title in ChampCar in 2007 with Newman Haas," he told www.GP2006.com. "This test will make it possible to get an idea of the situation and I am hoping that it is the start of something concrete, namely a race drive. I will do my best during these three days of testing. I will be able to know more what to expect and define my next step once they are over."

STR team prinicple Gerhard Berger says that he agreed to the test because he recognized Bourdais' accomplishments in Champ Car. "I think he's a guy doing an extremely good job in the States and I would like to see where he is. He did quite well in Europe and he's doing very well in the States, and I'd like to see where his potential is."