Ride-buyers to rule the day at STR

UPDATE According to Sebastien Bourdais the Scuderia Toro Rosso did not sign up any drivers as they are trying to get the best driver with the biggest budget, i.e. the best ride-buyer they can find. The Frenchman is the team's 2008 driver but as he is unable to bring a big sponsor along he fears a deal for 2009.

Ride-buyers put Bourdais' future with STR on hold

"If it was just a team principal decision we would have already resigned for next season," Bourdais told GPUpdate.net. "It is purely a financial issue unfortunately. Obviously it doesn't really matter what they want if you don't have the money. It is now a pretty simple, but nasty game. If you find the money you will be all right but if you don't they put you on hold. They can't make a decision until they have all the cards in their hands and I'm just playing the waiting game.

"I never expected it would be like this. This was not part of the deal. When I signed up the team looked to have enough funds but then…(pauses)… I don't think I can comment too much about it really but Mister Mateschitz is just doing what he said he was going to do. He will invest less and it will probably get worse next year. The team is unable to find good sponsors and when that is the case they just have to look for well funded drivers."

11/19/08 (GMM) Takuma Sato expects to have to wait several weeks to find out if he can return to formula one next year.

The Japanese driver, who dropped out of the sport earlier this year with the Super Aguri demise, is in the running for a Toro Rosso race seat in 2009.

On Wednesday at the Circuit de Catalunya, the 31-year-old was the quickest of the three STR contenders in action.

It is believed that while the Swiss youngster Sebastien Buemi is almost guaranteed a 2009 seat, Sato is being considered for the post of a more 'experienced' driver next year, as is the incumbent Sebastien Bourdais.

But Sato said in Barcelona that he is not expecting an imminent decision.

When asked by F1's official website when Toro Rosso might decide, he answered: "I don't think that Toro Rosso is in any rush, so my guess would be at the end of the year, or even at the beginning of next year."

One factor playing in Sato's favor is that, compared with Bourdais, he is the more heavily sponsored.

"I really don't have cash," he insisted to reporters, "but hopefully, maybe with this difficult economy, some good personal sponsors will support us and that will be an extra bonus for me."