For the first time in a number of weeks, Sébastien Bourdais has received something akin to a vote of confidence from his employers
Scuderia Toro Rosso, as uncertainty remains over whether or not the multiple Champ Car king will still be a fixture on the
Formula 1 grid in 2009.
The Frenchman has come under fire for much of his debut campaign in the top flight, rarely matching the pace of team-mate
Sebastian Vettel and notching up a mere four points thus far to the German's 27.
He has, however, shown signs of improvement of late, with three consecutive top ten qualifying performances in Valencia, Spa and Monza – and has always urged that the 2009 regulations in the top flight are likely to suit his driving style rather better.
Though GP2 Series front-runners Bruno Senna and Sébastien Buemi,
Super Aguri refugee
Takuma Sato and even former double F1 World Champion
Fernando Alonso have all been linked to the small Faenza-based concern during the sport's annual ‘silly season', it has always been stressed that the squad wishes to pair an experienced driver with a young gun – something that could ultimately play out in Bourdais' favour.
“We are exploring all possibilities and Bourdais is still in the race,”
Red Bull energy drinks magnate Mateschitz – who co-owns
STR alongside former grand prix star Gerhard Berger – confirmed in an interview with German publication
Motorsport Aktuell. “Overall the alternatives are not abundant.”
The Austrian billionaire also revealed that ‘half of the grid is chasing' Vettel, the 21-year-old's stock and reputation having risen immeasurably in the wake of his stunning breakthrough Italian Grand Prix victory last month – a result that saw him add the record of being
F1's youngest ever race-winner to those he had already claimed of youngest points-scorer and youngest pole position-sitter.
