Bourdais, Doornbos, Monteiro and Speed
02/24/07 Autosport is also confirming that Speed will be announced by Toro Rosso as their 2nd driver very soon. Recall what we said when Speed was included in the Toro Rosso film being made this week, i.e. that he must have the ride or he would not have been included.
02/16/07 (GMM) The Californian was a glaring absence at the Toro Rosso launch, but Scott Speed is expected to be confirmed as a race driver for 2007 within the next few days.
Red Bull's racing advisor Helmut Marko insisted to the website motorsport-total.com that the Faenza based camp is not negotiating with alternate drivers to race alongside Tonio Liuzzi.
Asked directly if talks were being held with any other drivers, he answered curtly: "No."
He added: "They are contractual issues (with Speed) and I would say that they will be solved in the next days."
02/15/07 According to AutoRacing1.com sources, American Scott Speed was given his walking papers by Toro Rosso last night. Although this has not been confirmed, if true, look for Red Bull to possibly place him in Champ Car (good for Champ Car, they need more American drivers) this year alongside Neel Jani in a 2-car Red Bull sponsored PKV team. And if true, does this open the door for Sebastien Bourdais or Robert Doornbos? Stay tuned……
02/13/07 See this Hot News item where Tiago Monteiro admits he will not race in F1 in 2007, but expects to land a competitive seat elsewhere. With two races in Europe, one would think that at least one Champ Car team is seeking his services (and money). It would seem to be the perfect fit for him, much more so than WTCC, for which he recently tested. No WTCC driver is going to make it back to F1, that is a guarantee.
02/07/07 American Scott Speed and Italian Vitantonio Liuzzi are likely to stay with Toro Rosso but a deal has still to be agreed, part-owner Gerhard Berger said on Wednesday. Ferrari-powered Toro Rosso are the only Formula One team with no confirmed drivers for the season starting in Australia on March 18.
"I think our two drivers are in pole position," the Austrian former racer told the official Formula One Web site (www.formula1.com). "Most likely we are going this route but it is not done yet."
Berger said the team, who have also yet to unveil their new car, had options [Options? What does that mean?]. "Money is not an issue," he said. "We are trying to get the best guys in our cars. We are looking for performance. It is the performance that will get a driver a cockpit and not a hand waving a check. If our main criteria were money, we would have done this already."
01/31/07 A spokesperson for the Newman/Haas teams tells AutoRacing1.com that Bourdais will drive for the team this season and they feel he says "McDonald's" completely fine.
01/31/07 This rumor just does not want to go away, and may explain the delay in Graham Rahal's announcement at Newman/Haas. In fact the press release was to be put out last Wednesday evening as we departed from Sebring but got pulled in the 11th hour, this we know as fact. We keep on hearing that Robert Doornbos might not move to Forsythe Racing or Minardi Team USA this year for his Champ Car debut, but to Newman/Haas Racing! And if scuttlebutt can be believed, Bourdais, therefore, will leave for the Toro Rosso F1 team and Graham Rahal will get the McDonald's sponsorship (young, American image). Either Scott Speed (most likely, as Champ Car needs American drivers) or Vitantonio Liuzzi (not likely) will move to Minardi Team USA. And finally ….. Jos Verstappen will end up at Forsythe Racing, which they, Jos and his manager Huub Rothengatter, have always wanted to join anyway. And where Tiago Monteiro will land in all this is still unknown. As we stated previously, until Toro Rosso finalizes its F1 lineup, the Silly Season in Champ Car won't stop.
01/19/07 If Monteiro lands at Toro Rosso as rumored below, that is one less chance for Doornbos to land a seat there. He could end in the other Toro Rosso seat, or back in Champ Car driving for Forsythe Racing. Given that Berger recently criticized both Scott Speed and Vitantonio Liuzzi (see today's Hot News page), it's possible he is planning to give them both their walking papers.
01/17/07 Here is a photo of Doornbos in Paul Tracy's No. 3 Forsythe Lola at MSR Houston in December.
01/17/07 According to this Dutch article, our sources were correct and Doornbos did indeed have a secret test with Forsythe Racing. In the article Harry Muermans says that Doornbos still has an outside shot at the Toro Rosso seat, but putting him in a top seat like Forsythe where he can win races and prove his worth is a distinct possibility.
The fact that Champ Car now has two races in Europe (Holland and Belgium) is a positive consideration in the decision to place Doornbos in Champ Car. He also mentions that he thinks Katherine Legge or Jos Verstappen will drive for the Minardi team.
The 25-year-old Robert Doornbos' is yet to pen an extension to his Red Bull test deal for this season, but even more notable is the lack of confirmation of race lineup Scott Speed and Tonio Liuzzi at its sister formula one squad.
Courtesy of backer Harry Muermans' guaranteed sponsor funds, Doornbos has already been linked with a Toro Rosso pay-drive.
The Dutch magazine Formule 1 RaceReport asked Muermans if continuing speculation of the Toro Rosso-Doornbos link is still valid.
"There is a small chance (of a seat for Doornbos) and nothing more," he said. "But of course there are talks."
Muermans said: "It is important that Robert races in 2007. Only then can you show that you belong in formula one."
01/10/07 A reader writes Dear AutoRacing1.com, What is going on with Toro Rosso, how come they have not announced their driver lineup yet? Rich Gant, Atlanta, GA.
Dear Rich, There are a number of rumors out there that offer a few different scenarios. One is that Toro Rosso was so impressed with Sebastien Bourdais that they are willing to pay Newman/Haas to buy out his contract so they can race him in 2007. That would mean that Scott Speed would be moved to PKV Racing with Red Bull backing. In this scenario Newman/Haas (from Toro Rosso for 2nd or 3rd car) and PKV (from Red Bull) get much needed money, Champ Car gets another American and Toro Rosso gets the driver (Bourdais) they want).
The second scenario that we heard was that apparently Robert Doornbos did a 'secret' test with Forsythe Racing just before or just after Christmas at an unknown venue (this is unconfirmed as of yet). They (Forsythe) were very impressed with his performance and are trying to persuade him to join the Champ Car World Series (with their team – which can make him a race winner). Robert (and also his backer Harrie Muermans) still want to race in F1 this year (only possibility left is Toro Rosso). Although both Liuzzi and Speed claim they are sure about a drive at Toro Rosso this year, stranger things have happened (even already this year, when Monteiro was also 'sure' about his position at Spyker.)
The third scenario could be former Champ Car and F1 driver Tiago Monteiro, who has a rumored $10 million dollars that is needed for a team like Forsythe that refuses to pay for a 2nd driver. A Forsythe seat can enhance his race career by making him a race winner. This scenario could bring a Champ Car race to Estoril, Portugal should Forsythe go after him. Monteiro's money is also needed at Toro Rosso, and again this would mean Scott Speed would be forced out of F1 and to Champ Car.
Within the next few days we will know what's happening. If Robert Doornbos, Sebastien Bourdais or Tiago Monteiro makes it to F1 with Toro Rosso, I'm quite sure we will see Scott Speed in Champ Car. Red Bull doesn't necessarily need an American in F1 anymore. They now have more than enough exposure in the US anyway. As we all know they are present in NASCAR (Toyota), Champ Car World Series (Jani and maybe with Speed) and Champ Car Atlantic (John Edwards and Robert Wickens).
It's all very interesting and we'll be watching how this all plays out, if in fact there is truth to the rumors above. Mark C.