Sebastien Bourdais has been told by Toro Rosso that Sunday's German Grand Prix was his last for the team, according to RACER sources.
The Frenchman, who is in the middle of his second season in Formula 1, brushed off speculation over his immediate future coming into this race weekend, stating that he hadn't been informed by the team of any such threat to his drive. However, we understand that after qualifying last at the Nurburgring, he was told that he would not be in the STR in Hungary.
Following his struggles to get on terms with Toro Rosso teammate Sebastian Vettel in the second half of last season, Bourdais was the last driver to be confirmed on the 2009 Formula 1 grid. Despite a strong eighth place in this year's Monaco Grand Prix, the four-time Champ Car title-winner has struggled to match his rookie teammate Sebastien Buemi, and has been outqualified by him in seven of the nine races. Buemi is one of the drivers in the Red Bull driver program.
While Spanish teenager Jamie Alguersuari, who won last year's British Formula 3 Championship, is the man rumored to be in line to replace Bourdais, RACER's source suggests that recent comments by five-time World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb have not just been to attract publicity. The rallying legend, who has raced in the Le Mans 24 Hours and who tested a Red Bull Racing F1 car last winter, could make his F1 debut at one of the remaining grands prix providing it does not clash with his commitments to Citroen in the WRC. He currently lies second in the WRC title-race.