Vettel positive after first RB5 test

Sebastian Vettel described his impression of the new Red Bull-Renault RB5 as 'positive' after his first full day of testing in the car at Jerez yesterday. Vettel, who managed only 14 laps in Monday's shakedown before stopping with a gearbox problem, completed 61 laps on Tuesday.
He was fastest of the four 2009-specification cars running, ending up second on the timesheets behind Sebastien Buemi's 2008 Scuderia Toro Rosso, despite missing the last half-hour after a problem with a gearbox sensor forced him to stop on track.

"The first impression is positive," he said when asked by autosport.com what he thought of the car. "We made big progress, we did a lot of laps taking into consideration that the car just finished its build on Monday morning. "Unfortunately we had to stop before the end of the session, but so far the feeling is good in the car."

Despite being impressed by the RB5, Vettel believes it is too early to make any performance comparisons with his rivals.

"It's the first day, so let's keep our feet on the ground," he said. "It's difficult to say where we will be. The other teams are starting to find their way, but for us it's a long way. "It was important to have some laps and collect some data, but after one day it's way too early to judge."

Source: autosport.com

Buemi unafraid of Vettel comparisons

Seb Buemi isn't afraid of being compared to his Toro Rosso predecessor Seb Vettel when he makes his debut for the team this season. In 2008 Vettel proved to be Toro Rosso's shining star, not only pushing the team further up the grid but also bagging their maiden pole position and race win at the Italian GP. The German finished the season in an impressive eighth place in the Drivers' Championship having scored 35 points while Toro Rosso were sixth in the Constructors' race, beating big-name teams such as Red Bull, Williams and Honda.

However, whether Buemi can emulate Vettel's success remains to be seen, although the Swiss rookie is confident he can handle the pressure of being compared to the other Seb. "For sure coming just after Vettel is a bit more pressure, but he has improved the team, so my first feeling is that I am grateful to him for this," he told the official F1 website. "And of course I will try to do my best to live up to the standards that he has set. "The rules have changed a lot so it will be very different anyway. We have to wait for the season start to see where we are and I will do my job in the best way I can. "I don't think too much about what he did or what I should do. For sure, there will be comparisons all year long, but I can live with that."

Source: planet-f1.com

Bourdais to secure Toro Rosso seat for 2009

Reports in the Swiss and French press on Thursday suggest Sebastien Bourdais will shortly be confirmed as Toro Rosso's second race driver for the 2009 season. The 29-year-old Frenchman raced with the Faenza-based team last year, but so far only the Swiss rookie Sebastien Buemi has been confirmed for the forthcoming season. 2009 would therefore be Bourdais' second season in Formula One, following his mixed debut when he finished the 2008 championship with just four points compared with his Red Bull-bound teammate Sebastian Vettel's 35. It is reported by the Swiss magazine Speedweek, with close links to the team's owner Red Bull, that Toro Rosso selected Bourdais over the other candidate for the seat, Takuma Sato.

The French website sport24.com speculated that Sato's expected personal sponsorship may have dwindled as the Japanese recession worsens. Bourdais' manager Nicolas Todt would not confirm the news but insisted that "we are always in negotiations. "Moreover, the official website of the Ferrari-powered team is now showing Bourdais and Buemi as the drivers in the 'team' section.

Source: GMM