Champ Car winner has no F1 options for '05
source:
f1.racing-live.com
Sebastien Bourdais had hoped to following in the
footsteps of Jacques Villeneuve and Juan Pablo Montoya and use his success in
Champ Car to launch himself into a top seat in Formula One. While the
Frenchman's Championship winning year impressed many, the decision makers in
Formula One remain unconvinced that Bourdais is ready for Formula One yet.
Following his victory and Championship success at the Mexican Champ Car finale,
Bourdais was in contact with Frank Williams enquiring about a drive. "Frank told
me that being a Champ Car champion no longer means what it did a few years ago,"
SpeedTV report Bourdais as saying. "David Sears did his best to get me at
least a test with one of the teams in the winter, but to no avail. I'm very
frustrated."
Bourdais will race again for Newman/Haas in 2005 and Cristiano da Matta is
expected to re-join the team where he claimed the Champ Car title in 2002, while
former F3000 Champion Bruno Junqueira is expected to line up in the three-car
super-team. While Bourdais is frustrated not to be heading to Formula One, he is
however happy with his life in the United States.
Bourdais won seven of the 14 Champ Car races held this year.