Sebastien Bourdais needs to forget about Formula One
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Well, if you haven’t heard by now, it appears another North American open-wheel racing star has been kicked to the curb by his Formula One overlords.
Scuderia Toro Roso (that’s Red Bull in Italian for those of you who can’t understand European marketing strategies) officially parted ways with Sebastien Bourdais today, bringing an end to a year-and-a-half relationship that really only succeeded in making Cristiano da Matta and Scott Speed not feel so bad.
Of course, is anyone really surprised Sea Bass received Toro Rosso’s traditional post-Nurburgring pink slip? There were plenty of folks who knew Bourdais was destined for a quick exit from Formula One when he signed with the team in 2007. And his inability to outperform German wunderkind Sebastian Vettel last year made him a contestant for Formula One’s version of ‘The Gong Show.’
But instead of pursuing legal action against Red Bull, Bourdais ought to just turn his back on Formula One and return to North America. The IndyCar Series may not be as glamorous, but Bourdais is a recognizable name in the racing world here, and he could add a dose of legitimacy to a series still rubbing its eyes after emerging from a 13-year civil war.
Plus, wouldn’t it be great to see the four-time CART champion roam around the streets of Long Beach next April? He’s driven under the checkered flag first three times on Shoreline Drive, and he’s just a few more victories away from kicking sand all over Al Unser Jr.‘s harbor master title.
So, Bourdais needs to stay positive and forget his failed Formula One experiment. If he feels the European racing itch, he can always call Peugeot to see if they have a new diesel-engined car for him to drive on his hometown streets.
Until then, Bourdais should really consider racing here again. Not only will the fans know who he is, but he might actually have a chance to compete for race victories.
— Austin Knoblauch
