NOVEMBER 12, 2008

Who should drive for Toro Rosso?

There are three drivers testing for Scuderia Toro Rosso next week in Spain and while there may be others in with a chance of one of the two drives, in all likelihood, the test will decide the matter. The team has suffered this year from having two drivers without much F1 experience. Logic would suggest that keeping Sebastian Bourdais for another year is a sensible way to make most of the investment made. Bourdais has had a better year at Scuderia Toro Rosso than Nelson Piquet had at Renault but the Brazilian is being kept on because these days some believe that one season is simply not enough to prove whether a young driver has what it takes or not. Bourdais should be a lot better next year and it makes no sense to dump him at this juncture, unless the team is desperate for funding.

Sebastien Buemi is a logical choice for Red Bull and a rising star, whether he is good enough to establish an F1 career remains to be seen but he is the next name on the Red Bull conveyor belt and so it makes sense for him to be included. Bruno Senna, who is alo mentioned as a possible driver, is in the same basic situation as Buemi but has a name that will help pull in money.

Takuma Sato has a great deal of experience in F1 but on the downside he has had a lot of opportunities and has never turned these into any real success. If one was looking for experience one would logically go for Rubens Barrichello, who has strong links with Ferrari and experience as an F1 race winner.

One name which ought to be in the frame is that of Tonio Liuzzi, who was a Red Bull driver for years, who has experience and is quick. For reasons which are not easy to understand the Toro Rosso management threw the baby out with the bath water last year when it might have been wiser to keep Liuzzi alongside Sebastian Vettel, as the two were evenly matched during their time together in the team.