Formula One news

Bourdais to begin legal process against team

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.'

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