Bourdais, F1 in dotted lines

Sébastien Bourdais, on March 16, 2008, made his dream come true. For the first time in his long automotive career, at the age of 29, he will drive a Formula 1 during a Grand Prix. But how difficult it was! Several years of competition and victories must have convinced an environment reluctant to see him join the Formula 1 paddocks. But, a driver who wins the international championship of F3000 and four titles in ChampCar being necessarily steeped in great qualities, the Manceau ended up finding his place within the young Team Toro Rosso. The first F1 Grand Prix of his season would, however, sum up Bourdais' future career at Toro Rosso. Qualified 17th on the grid, her modest car makes his way to 4th position, a few laps from the finish. For a first, the Frenchman is breaking the screen! But, two laps from this extraordinary performance, the Manceau had to give up, inheriting 7th place. For a first race, it?s a very good result, at the wheel of a Toro Rosso. But, in such circumstances, it is a disappointment.

Another element intervenes in Bourdais' mixed record in F1. His first year at Toro Rosso, at the wheel of a second-tier single-seater, was completely overshadowed by the emergence of Sebastian Vettel. A young driver with certain talent, the German scored 35 points, compared to 4 for Bourdais, offered his first Grand Prix victory to Toro Rosso, and amazed observers. In this context, it was difficult for the Frenchman to stand out and show that his talent was well worth that of certain F1 drivers, with better cars.

If the pilot lacked neither talent, nor analysis, nor self-sacrifice, he was cruelly lacking in success. As if fate had tried hard to hinder his dream, the Manceau rarely aroused the enthusiasm of his stand with performances without much relief. At the 2008 Belgian Grand Prix, he was on the verge of a podium finish but only finished 7th, before stalling a week later on the starting grid for the Italian Grand Prix, when he was going to start in 4th. position. This season, the Frenchman will have scored, as in 2008, during the first Grand Prix of the season, in Australia (1 point). But, constantly dominated by his young teammate Sebastian Vettel in 2008, the Frenchman saw his new partner, Sébastien Buemi stealing the spotlight from him too. For his first F1 Grand Prix, the Swiss finished 7th and scored two points.

Since then, Sébastien Bourdais has never stopped seeking to improve the performance of his car, waiting race after race for the necessary developments. Ironically, it is now that the STR4 will undergo numerous modifications, for the Hungarian Grand Prix, that the Frenchman has landed. The one who is renowned for his talent as a developer will therefore not have had the opportunity to have in his hands this long-awaited single-seater in recent weeks. Le Manceau would undoubtedly have liked to end his adventure in Formula 1 with a better outing than that of this weekend, at the Nürburgring. But, let go by the hydraulics of his car after 18 laps, Sébastien Bourdais lacked success. One more time.

The Frenchman's record in Formula 1 is, however, far from negative: getting into the points four times, in 27 races, with one of the slowest cars in the field is no small achievement. But these 18 months leave a taste of unfinished business, as the driver would have liked to present a better accounting record, as French F1 fans would have wanted to be enthusiastic about his performances. But Manceau has always lacked a bit of success. However, with so many drivers failing to access the premier discipline of motorsport, the Frenchman can be proud to have taken 27 starts there.