From GMM

Sebastien Bourdais left the Nurburgring on Sunday evening intending to honour his full 2009 contract with Toro Rosso.

The Frenchman was the subject of intense speculation all weekend that the Red Bull-owned team wants to immediately replace him with 19-year-old rookie Jaime Alguersuari.

After Bourdais, 30, retired from the race with hydraulic failure, his warm embrace with Giorgio Ascanelli was interpreted by some as a farewell.

Also significantly, his manager Nicolas Todt refused to comment at all on the issue before leaving Germany, and Bourdais once again lost his temper with the media.

Questioned by the French broadcaster TF1, he snapped: "Stop making me talk about this, is that clear? I am under contract. I will be in Hungary."


Jaimie Alguersuari on Monday indicated that Sebastien Bourdais has been ousted from his race seat at Toro Rosso.

Alguersuari told Radio Catalunya: "He is 30, he has a daughter, has won four championships in the American Champ Cars, won the F3000 here in Europe and, honestly, is a highly trained driver.

"But it seems that this year he has not given it everything, as he should have. but it is never nice to see someone taken away after half a season."