Toro Rosso to delay Bourdais decision

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."