Sebastien Bourdais leaves Toro Rosso

Formula One news: Official: Bourdais leaves Toro Rosso - GPUpdate.net Formula One

Scuderia Toro Rosso has confirmed that France's Sébastien Bourdais is no longer part of the team and therefore drove his last Formula One race at the German Grand Prix last weekend. No news of his replacement has yet been issued.

Although a string of rumours has surrounded Bourdais recently, his retirement at the Nürburgring has indeed turned out to be his last F1 result. "In Sébastien's second year with us, the partnership has not met our expectations and therefore we have decided to replace him as from the next round of the World Championship, the Hungarian Grand Prix," confirmed team principal Franz Tost.

An announcement is expected from the team in due course, as reigning British Formula 3 Champion Jaime Alguersuari performs straight-line tests for Toro Rosso on the same day Bourdais' ousting is confirmed; the Spaniard has been recently appointed as reserve driver for both Red Bull teams, replacing new Zealand's Brendon Hartley.

As a follow-up to this news:
Formula One news: Bourdais to begin legal process against team - GPUpdate.net Formula One

Sébastien Bourdais has announced that he will be taking legal action against Scuderia Toro Rosso after news of his instant departure on Thursday. The Frenchman argues that his contract ran until the end of the season and therefore states how the Italian squad has breached the deal, adding that he will remain personally committed to F1.

Rumoured for some time, the ousting from the Faenza-based Toro Rosso team of four-time Champ Car Champion Bourdais was confirmed on Thursday and is likely to be followed by the appointment of reigning British Formula 3 Champion Jaime Alguersuari.

However, a response from Bourdais states that he is both employing the services of barristers and, furthermore, believes that no action of his own has influenced the decision of the team.

Bourdais' statement reads:

'I am very disappointed and shocked by the decision taken by Scuderia Toro Rosso of not allowing me to drive for the Team until the end of the current season.

I consider that, in doing so, Scuderia Toro Rosso has breached its contractual duties towards me; also I believe that nothing in my behavior would legitimate a decision of the Team to terminate the contract.

I think that the Team's decision is in clear violation of Scuderia Toro Rosso's obligations under the agreement. I have instructed my lawyers to review the situation including the possibility of issuing legal proceedings.

I am even more frustrated by the Team's decision considering that the latter has been taken immediately before the Hungarian Grand Prix, where a new highly competitive racing package will be introduced by the Team in order to try and overcome its current difficulties.

I am convinced that if I was given the chance to race with such a new package I would have had the opportunity to achieve satisfactory results.

Finally, I would like to thank all my fans for their support. My motivation is intact and I will continue to be strongly committed to my Formula One project, for which I have renounced to my career in United States.'