A Retired Guy Goes Fastest In Testing

Seven time world champion Michael Schumacher returned to the seat of a Ferrari F1 car for the first proper session since his retirement following the 2006 season.

Schumacher made his return and quickly established that a one year absence has done little to stiffle his talent as a world class driver. He set the fastest time of the day in the F2007.

The German served to test the new regulations which ban traction control and debut a new electronic control system. When Schu began his career the cars featured fewer electronic gizmos to aid drivers on track.

Schumacher has no plans to return to F1 in any capacity beyond this test.

Barcelona hosts the teams this week and many new faces got behind the wheel. Toro Rosso welcomed Sebastian Bourdais, fresh off of a fourth Champ Car title.

GP2 drivers Zuber, Chandhok, and Rodriguez put their stamp on the field but failed to compete with the front runners on the time sheet.

Bourdais to Toro Rosso - Harmful?

At the end of last week Champcar World Series triple champion Sebastien Bourdais announced his venture into Formula 1 with Red Bull sponsored Scuderia Toro Rosso. Bourdais is the second driver to be named for 2008 next to 20 year old Sebastian Vettel.

This announcement means two Toro Rosso vets are out next season - Vitantonio Liuzzi and Scott Speed. Both drivers have responded to the situation with a surprising sense of relief and seem almost more relaxed knowing their respective fates. The vibe of both drivers seems to reflect that the team is functioning in chaos with weak leadership from team bosses Franz Tost and Gerhard Berger.

The question is now how will the relationship with newcomers Vettel and Bourdais and the team carry on?

Bourdais has little to prove to himself by heading to F1 but does have a family to care for and thus is not solely self motivated. Vettel may have more on the line in the switch from test driver at BMW to full time racer with Toro Rosso. If he doesn't prove himself with this back of the pack team his options could become more limited in the future.

Will the apparent disorder at Toro Rosso be enough to unnerve either driver and perhaps diminish the wonderful opportunities to race in the most elite form of motosport? Other drivers have joined smaller teams and made the world for themselves - Michael Schumacher, Kimi Raikkonen, and Fernando Alonso are all names that immediately come to mind with teams like Jordan, Sauber, Minardi and more.

The weight falls on Toro Rosso to get their act together and learn to manage a team that now sits on a wealth (literally) of talent that can produce results and help brand Toro Rosso as a mid pack contender - or at the least a viable stepping stone to larger teams.

Bourdais signs with Toro Rosso

Champ Car World Series reigning triple champion Sebastien Bourdais inked a drive with Toro Rosso for 2008. The move to F1 comes as little surprise after several successful tests with Italian, Red Bull backed squad.

The 28 year old from Le Mans, France, will be paired with 20 year old Sebastian Vettel in '08.

The news means that now both drivers who started the 2007 season for Toro Rosso will not return for a third season.

American Scott Speed was removed from the team after the European GP at the Nurburgring and replaced by Vettel for the rest of the season while Vitantonio Liuzzi will finish off the season for the Italian team.