He is the F1 driver who once questioned Sebastian Vettel’s mental strength as teammates before being sacked by Red Bull

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Sebastian Vettel is one of the all-time greats in Formula 1. Winning four consecutive championships with Red Bull, the German had an incredible career in the pinnacle of motorsport.

Vettel dominated the early 2010s with Red Bull as he claimed his four world titles from 2010-2013. Contesting a tight battle with Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso in 2010 and 2012, the 37-year-old was unstoppable in 2011 and 2013.

However, in the turbo-hybrid era, Vettel struggled to adapt as Daniel Ricciardo got the upper hand in 2014. He decided to leave the Red Bull family at the end of the season to join Ferrari, where he would grab 14 wins to put himself fourth for all-time Grand Prix wins.

Unfortunately, he could not repeat his success at Red Bull in Maranello, missing out on the title to Lewis Hamilton in 2017 and 2018. He left in 2021 to join Aston Martin, where he produced some encouraging performances in midfield machinery before retiring in 2022.

Since then, the German has been touted to return to F1, with Vettel being linked with replacing Helmut Marko at Red Bull by the Austrian. The four-time champion has an incredible relationship with the Milton Keynes-based outfit, dating back to his junior career.

Red Bull loaned him to BMW to make his F1 debut at the 2007 United States Grand Prix in place of Robert Kubica, before he replaced Scott Speed for the remainder of the season at junior team Toro Rosso – now Racing Bulls. In 2008, he was handed a full-time seat by the Faenza outfit next to Sebastien Bourdais.

Sebastien Bourdais once questioned Sebastian Vettel’s mental strength as teammates at Toro Rosso

While both drivers were technically rookies back in 2008, Bourdais had a wealth of experience in motorsport before joining F1. The Frenchman had been racing GT and sports cars for years before signing for Toro Rosso in 2008.

Vettel had a higher ceiling than Bourdais, but the start to the season was miserable for the German. While his teammate scored points in Melbourne, he failed to finish the opening four races.

Bourdais fared little better, as he retired from four of the first six Grand Prix. But speaking with BBC Sport back in 2013, he recalled how he felt Vettel was not strong mentally, with many believing that he was ‘slipping away’ in F1.

“With the old car [before the B spec], we were matched really closely,” says Bourdais, who was sacked halfway through the 2009 season. “Then we got the new car and I couldn’t drive it but he was happy, like a fish in water. My life became pretty difficult.

“At the time, I didn’t think he was mentally super strong. When we were closely matched, people were starting to question whether he was any good. He was starting to look like any other driver trying to make it and it felt like it was slipping away.

“He’s human, too. Things didn’t go his way and he was getting frustrated. He was making mistakes but that didn’t last very long.”

While Bourdais’s career took a nosedive, Vettel’s stock began to rise. “He was a very young, talented driver,” said Bourdais. “You could see he was on his way up. He was obviously very fast and a fine chap to work with. Absolutely, we got on.”

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Red Bull sacked Sebastien Bourdais in 2009 – where is he now?

After a poor start to the season, Vettel found another gear in 2008. Regularly putting his Toro Rosso into the top five, he claimed his and team’s first win at Monza, helping to propel the Faenza outfit ahead of the main Red Bull team.

Meanwhile, Bourdais managed just one more points finish with seventh at Spa. He was retained in 2009 while Vettel moved to Red Bull, but things only got worse for the Frenchman.

Alongside Sebastien Buemi, Bourdais scored just two points from the first nine races before Red Bull sacked him ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix. Replaced by youngster Jaime Alguersuari. the 46-year-old never raced in F1 again.

Following his Red Bull exit, the Frenchman returned to sports car racing when he has gone to enjoy great success. Competing in the likes of IndyCar, WEC and IMSA, Bourdais won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2016 in the LMGTE class.

He continues to race in WEC and IMSA today, driving for Cadillac in the former in the Hypercar class. Racing with Earl Bamber and 2009 F1 champion Jenson Button, the trio are yet to score points after two races in 2025.