Sebastian Bourdais

[termietermite]

Expect this is of more interest to me than others but 3 times Champ car champion Seb Bourdais announced in the local paper that he will be driving the new Peugeot at LM next year.
Interestingly he also said that nobody in F1 had approached him about even a test drive.  He's the second young French driver in the past few weeks (the other was Ayari) to have said that the French are not welcome in F1!  Sports car racing is the better for it, to my mind.  My own feeling is that this probably has more to do with commercialism than anything else as the French are notorious for not spending money on new cars - or much else other than food, wine and having a good time in my experience!

[chop456]

"The French aren't welcome in F1." says famous Uruguayan racer Franck Montagny.   

Bourdais has built himself a reputation in the states as a great racer and an even better whiner.  He showed all the enthusiasm of a wet napkin upon winning his 3rd championship last Sunday.

That said, in it's current state, Champ Car isn't looked at as the ladder to F1 that it was a few years ago.  GP2 is stronger.

[termietermite]

I absolutely take your point, chop, this was Seb's opinion not mine!  The Champ/Indy car split has really done nothing for the standing of either in the motor racing community, let's face it. 
SB is undoubtledly po-faced but boy the lad can drive.  As has been said in other threads, who gives a stuff what he's like as a person?
Talking of drivers with/without a personality chip, I for one will miss James Weaver not just for his driving ability but for his great charm and humour outside the car (much needed when you drive a car as frustrating as the Dyson) whom I see announced his retirement before last weekend's race.

[Mr. Rick]

Used to be a fan of Monsieur Bourdais .... until his unapologetic and overly aggressive incident with Martin Short that virtually destroyed the Rollcentre Dallara and hospitalised Shorty a couple of years ago at LM.

 

[hgb]

That and his arrogant comments afterwards did it for me. 

[Mr. Rick]

That and his arrogant comments afterwards did it for me. 

Precisely! Still can't quite believe how dismissive he was! I mean, a fellow driver was injured and he just didn't seem to care! Bet even Spoonface would have held his hands up on that one....

[termietermite]

Seb's take on the subject http://www.speedarena.com/news/publish/features/printer_5028.shtml

[Boorish Grobian]

Interesting how times change.  In the late seventies/early eighties it seemed like half the F1 grid was French, many as a result of the Pilote Elf program.
Bourdais obviously has bucketloads of talent, but he seems clearly frustrated that he has nowhere to go from here.  Agreed, Indycar/Champcar racing is a pathetic shadow of what it once was and I'm sure this has much to do with his current predicament.  TV ratings for both series are horrible, and with the exception of their respective signature events at Indy and Long Beach, they struggle badly at the gate as well.  The IRL race at the Kentucky Speedway has been moved to a Sat. night race next year in hopes of putting more backsides in seats, I suspect it won't help that much.
Fax

[termietermite]

Agree, Fax, I'm afraid the death knell is sounding on both series and scratching around for talented women drivers (sorry it's me who's saying this)/changing formats,venues,timings etc isn't going to turn the clock back.  Probably having a Frenchman winning Champs 3 times doen't help either although you are better placed to guage the effect of this than me.  Did you take a look at what Nordic dug up on the "You Tube finds" thread?  Takes you back. Mind you, I remember my dear old dad sounding off similarly 30 or so years ago so maybe it's just my age.  I hope so.

[chop456]

Bourdais interview in Autosport.  It talks about his test w/ Toro Rosso, but nothing about Le Mans.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/56016