Biography

The switch to single-seaters came in 1995 when Sebastien, now aged 16, contested the Formula Campus Championship, followed by two seasons in the French Formula Renault Championship.

Having finished runner-up in the 1997 French Formula Renault Championship, courtesy of four wins and five pole positions, Sebastien moved up to the French F3 Championship for 1998, finishing sixth overall but taking the coveted 'Rookie of the Year' award.

The following year, still only 20, he won the French F3 Championship and subsequently signed to the Prost Junior Team for the 2000 International F3000 Championship. Finishing ninth in his maiden season, Sebastien made the switch to DAMS for 2001, taking a convincing win at Silverstone and finishing fourth overall, albeit over 40 points behind series winner Justin Wilson.

He remained in F3000 for 2002, however, he was now with David Sears' Super Nova International. Taking three victories and seven poles, Sebastien won the title by 2 points from Giorgio Pantano, following Tomas Enge's disqualification following a failed drugs test.

With no apparent interest from F1, Sebastien opted to follow the example of previous F3000 Champions, Juan Pablo Montoya and Bruno Junqueira, and head to the USA where he would take part in Champ Cars.

Joining the legendary Newman-Haas Racing outfit, Sebastien made his own little bit of history by emulating the achievement of another Newman-Haas old boy, Nigel Mansell, by taking pole position for his very first race. Unable to convert pole position into a win, it was three more races before the rookie took his first win, at Brands Hatch in England. Finishing fourth overall in the 2003 standings, Sebastien took comfort in the fact that he was recognised as the 'Rookie of the Year'.

He remained with Newman-Haas Racing for 2004 and this time there was no stopping the Frenchman, who took the title seven wins and eight poles in his McDonald's-sponsored Lola. It was the beginning of an era in Champ Car as Sebastien, in partnership with Newman-Haas won the 2005, 2006 and 2007 titles.

Along the way, Sebastien had looked at F1, having tested with both Arrows and Renault. While Arrows was never likely to lead to anything, such was the team's financial situation, many were surprised that Bourdais gave Renault the cold shoulder, especially when one considers what the French outfit was to subsequently achieve. That said, other than the fact that he was only being offered a test seat, it is understood that Sebastian was loath to sign a management deal with Flavio Briatore, a decision that is said to explain why several other star names never made the move to F1 in recent years.

Being a Frenchman, it is not surprising that Sebastien has tried his luck at Le Man in the legendary 24-hour race. In fact, since 1999, he has made numerous appearances in the racing classic, his best result being second in 2007, when he partnered Stephane Sarrazin and Pedro Lamy at the wheel of a factory-backed Peugeot 908. He has also enjoyed success in Sports and Stock Car racing, most notably winning his class in the 2006 12 Hours of Sebring in a Panoz Esperante.

Whether it is because it is still seeking to make its mark in the United States or whether it feels Sebastien would make a great F1 driver we do not know, however, following a number of tests with Scuderia Toro Rosso throughout 2007, the Frenchman was signed to partner Sebastian Vettel in 2008.

In all reality, it would appear to be a question of damned if he does, damned if he doesn't, as far as Bourdais is concerned in 2008. On paper he should be able to see off his teammate, however, with such limited experience in F1, even compared to Vettel, he appears to be on a hiding to nothing.

While Pitpass argues that Red Bull and its sister team is not to be trusted with any driver's career, others believe that Sebastien has made the switch too late, and that it can only end in tears.

That said, it will be interesting to see how he shapes up, for there is no doubting that Sebastien's is an outrageous talent. Did we really miss out on another French World Champion or was Sebastien, at least as far as Champ Cars is concerned, a big fish in a small pool? Time will tell.

Statistics - Prior to 2008 Season

Drivers' Titles: 0
Seasons in F1: 0
Grand Prix: 0
Wins: 0
Points: 0
Poles: 0
Fastest Laps: 0