Bridgestone - CCWS Feature - Bourdais Eyes F1 Drive For 2008

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CCWS Feature - Bourdais Eyes F1 Drive For 2008
18/05/2007

Champ Car World Series Champion Sebastien Bourdais has been invited to test for the Scuderia Toro Rosso Formula 1 team twice more this season, fueling speculation that the three-time champion will make the switch to F1 with the team for 2008.

Bourdais is expecting the Toro Rosso team to decide on his future following the second of the tests in July at the Spa circuit in Belgium.

Making the most of the seven week gap in the Champ Car World Series schedule, The French driver got back behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car again this week at Paul Ricard. He will also be racing for Peugeot in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Bourdais ran for two days at Paul Ricard this week, and will then be testing again in Spa in July as the team prepare for the Belgian Grand Prix.

The Frenchman admits he expects a decision by Toro Rosso by then. "I think it has been announced that there is going to be a test in Spa," Bourdais saiid. "That test at Spa will be the final evaluation, and the final test before they decide what they want to do with me. There is no mystery.

"It does not only depend on what I want to do, it depends on what they want to do and what package they have. I am not worried too much.

"I am looking forward to it, especially as it is in Spa - which is a great track. You have a much nicer time driving on a fast track with the downforce you have."

Bourdais, tenth quickest out of 11 drivers on the first day of the Paul Ricard test, had first run with for Toro Rosso last December at Jerez before returning to defend three back-to-back to Champ Car titles.

He admitted he is not having too many problems adapting to the different car styles. And while both Champ Car and Formula 1 race on Bridgestone Potenza tires, they are very different in construction – the F1 tires having small grooves.

"Like I said I jumped from one car to the other," Bourdais smiled. "It is something I like, and it is what I have been doing for a long time now. So, no problems."