Candidates emerge for Toro Rosso vacancy

(GMM) Should Toro Rosso have a vacant cockpit at the end of the season, team co-owner Gerhard Berger would like to fill it for 2009 with a rookie driver.

"But at the moment I cannot see anybody (suitable)," the Austrian, a ten-time grand prix winner himself, told sportnet.

Current STR racer Sebastian Vettel will almost certainly be scooped up by the senior Red Bull team in 2009, while his rookie teammate Sebastien Bourdais is yet to have his contract extended beyond November's Brazilian grand prix.

Bruno Senna appears to be the top candidate to replace Sebastian Vettel at Toro Rosso

Bruno Senna, whose links with Berger are well known, is an obvious candidate for Toro Rosso, but another GP2 competitor – 19-year-old Red Bull test and reserve driver Sebastien Buemi – has also been mentioned.

Berger, however, said that while the young Swiss is "quick now and then, he is inconsistent and therefore not yet ready" for formula one.

The latest name to be thrown into the hat is Salvador Duran, a little-known Mexican driver who currently contests the World Series by Renault.

What is interesting about the Duran speculation is the 23-year-old's links with Carlos Slim, a wealthy Mexican businessman who may be looking to bring his brand Telmex into F1.

"It is true that I looked at Duran last year," Berger said. "This year there has been no contact," he added.