Toro Rosso to delay Bourdais decision
Scuderia Toro Rosso could hold back on making a decision about Sebastien Bourdais' future with the team until after the end of the season as they ponder their driver options for next year
The Italian outfit are already looking for a replacement for Sebastian Vettel and Bourdais' future had been uncertain after a difficult middle part to the season.
However, with some strong performance from Bourdais in recent races - including what should have been more points in Japan last weekend - the Frenchman is now looking more likely to be given another chance in 2009.
But team co-owner Gerhard Berger wants to wait a while before finalising his plans - although he admitted that Bourdais was now driving at the level expected of him.
When asked if Bourdais' Fuji performance had boosted the Frenchman's chances for next year, Berger said: "Well, I don't want to say anything at this stage because we have to sort out everything in a quiet way. But that's exactly what we need to see him doing as he did today. It was a good result."
Although Bourdais lost his points-scoring finish in Japan after being punished for a collision with Felipe Massa, Berger is adamant his driver did nothing wrong.
"It was a racing accident," explained Berger. "Bourdais was inside, if Massa had given him two centimetres more space both cars would go around the corner, so I wouldn't think it's Bourdais's mistake at all. But I wouldn't say it was Massa's either. It was a racing accident. Nothing happened anyway - in a racing situation, two cars touching is a normal thing."
When asked if he felt there were too many penalties being handed out at the moment, Berger said: "I don't want to comment on it because it's not where we should discuss this. But I like more to see racing.
"If there are some incidents that are reasonable racing accidents, not something crazy, I would like to see them let it go. Investigations are important, but too many are found guilty."
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