“We are extremely happy to announce that Takuma will be testing for Toro Rosso in Barcelona on the 17-18 November,” said a statement from the Toro Rosso management earlier today.
The Italian outfit is yet to confirm their drivers' lineup for 2009, having plenty of drivers to choose from. With Sebastian Vettel already out of the picture – he'll replace retired David Coulthard at Red Bull Racing next year – the Ferrari-powered team needs two new drivers to begin testing for their 2009 car.
Sebastien Bourdais looks set to sign an one-year extension with Toro Rosso, despite rumors he's already one foot out of the Great Circle. The Frenchman's manager, Nicolas Todt, assured his client that he will retain his racing seat for 2009 despite his rather poor performances this season. The 4-time ChampCar Series champion only managed a 17th place in the overall classification, scoring 4 points throughout the season.
Sato, however, was linked with a move to Toro Rosso for quite some time now, especially since it's rumored that Honda could step in and provide the Scuderia with a brand new power train for 2009. Toro Rosso are yet to confirm the extension of the partnership with Ferrari, as the Maranello-based team are way behind developing their unit (including KERS technology) for next year.
Another contender for a racing seat with Toro Rosso for 2009 is GP2 driver Sebastien Buemi. The Swiss ended his maiden full-season inside the GP2 Main Series in 6th place overall, scoring 50 points. He also used to test for Red Bull Racing in the past.
Toro Rosso's management insisted, through the same statement, that they are 'yet to decide its drivers line up for 2009'. With all these possibilities in hand, it's quite possible that the Scuderia won't be able to make up their mind by Christmas, therefore joining Honda as the only F1 teams providing up-for-grabs racing seats by the start of 2009.
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