2008 Drivers – Part 7/11: Toro Rosso

Sebastien Bourdais
Nationality: French
DOB: 28/02/79
Races: 0
Wins: 0
Podums: 0
Pole Positions: 0
Total Career Points: 0

Sebastian Vettel
Nationality: German
DOB : 03/07/87
Races: 8
Wins: 0
Podiums: 0
Pole Positions: 0
Total Career Points: 6

Sebastien Bourdais comes into Formula One with a strong racing history. He is a Champ Car champion, winning the World Series four years running, from 2004 to 2007. His first major trophy was victory at the French Formula Three championship in 1999. Bourdais tried his hand at Formula 3000, and had won that championship in no time at all, taking the title in 2002.

2002 was the year that Seb almost made his F1 breakthrough, signing for the almost-bankrupt Arrows team. He didn’t get to race, and was beaten to the Renault Test Driver seat by Franck Montagny. Then Bourdais went on his marvellous winning streak in Champ Car, before being snapped up by Toro Rosso to replace Vitantonio Liuzzi for the forthcoming season. Toro Rosso didn’t score any points last season until the final race; I wonder if anything has changed over the winter.

PREDICTION: 19th

The second Seb in Toro Rosso is the more experienced – by eight races. Vettel made a winning start to his career by finishing runner-up, then champion of German Formula BMW in 2003 and 2004 respectively. He made a name for himself in Formula 3 Euroseries, again finishing in the runner-up spot. In mid-2006 Vettel was signed by BMW Sauber as a test driver. He impressed, and was kept on in 2007 when Vettel set two unique records.

After Robert Kubica’s horror smash at Montreal last year, Sebastian took over the BMW for the US Grand Prix, where he became the youngest ever points-scorer, finishing eighth at the age of just 19 years, 11 months. When Scott Speed left Toro Rosso after the European GP, Vettel was signed on, and became the youngest driver to lead a race, at the Japanese GP. But at China, Seb finished fourth, and picked up his first ever career points.

Sebastian was fined $1,000 just nine seconds into his career for speeding in the pitlane on his debut grand prix. Vettel has impressed since, but is he really in the right car?

PREDICTION: 14th