Zoom Bourdais and Sato chase seat alongside Buemi

Toro Rosso's need to boost its budget explains the uncertainty surrounding its driver line-up for 2009.

That is the revelation of Nicolas Todt, who is the French driver Sebastien Bourdais' manager.

Bourdais is still waiting to know if he can keep his race seat next year, amid the possibility that rival contender Takuma Sato can bring substantial sponsorship to the Faenza-based team.

"Toro Rosso wants to keep him," Todt said of 29-year-old Bourdais. "But the economic context is really difficult at the moment, therefore it is not really in our control," the Frenchman told Auto Hebdo.

Todt was also asked if the departure of Gerhard Berger, who had been a key advocate of bringing Bourdais to Formula One from American open-wheel racing, had affected his chances for 2009.

"It doesn't change anything in a big way," he answered. "Of course it is no simpler now, but also no more complicated."

Source: GMM
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