Toro Rosso have confirmed that they have parted ways with Sebastien Bourdais.
Team boss says "partnership has not met our expectations"
Toro Rosso have confirmed they have parted ways with Sebastien Bourdais.
The Italian team cited the failure of the Frenchman to realise his potential as the reason for his departure.
Team principal Franz Tost said: "In Sebastien's second year with us, the partnership has not met our expectations.
"Therefore we have decided to replace him as from the next round of the world championship, the Hungarian Grand Prix."
After emerging as a star in the United States - Bourdais won four successive ChampCar titles between 2004 to 2007 - he joined the Red Bull-backed Toro Rosso team last season.
However, Bourdais scored just six points from the 27 grands prix in which he competed.
Last year he was overshadowed by the emergence of Sebastian Vettel, who scored a dream win for the team - more often than not also-rans - in the Italian Grand Prix.
The 30-year-old also suffered his fair share of bad luck, however - Bourdais qualifying fourth at Monza before a mechanical problem on the grid scuppered his chances of challenging his team-mate.
Second best
He was made to sweat by Toro Rosso during the winter - being confirmed for the current season only one month before it was due to start - but again found himself second best, this time to Sebastien Buemi.
The Swiss rookie out-qualified his more experienced team-mate seven races to two, with Bourdais' swansong at last weekend's German Grand Prix resulting in retirement.
Spanish teenager Jaime Alguersuari is the favourite to replace Bourdais, although Toro Rosso will not announce a replacement until shortly before the Hungarian Grand Prix.
The reigning British F3 champion, a product of Red Bull's Young Driver Development programme, is set to become the youngest driver to race in F1.
Alguersuari would take his place in the record books at the age of 19 years and 126 days, beating the current record, set by New Zealander Mike Thackwell at the 1980 Canadian Grand Prix, by 57 days.
