Full Throttle

Color me not surprised:

Scott Speed, the only U.S. Formula One driver on F1’s starting grid, says his Scuderia Toro Rosso team wants to get rid of him and Italian Vitantonio Liuzzi for the 2008 season.

Gee, wonder what gave him the first clue? My first hint was when the team didn’t sign Speed until three weeks before the season opening Australian GP.

Guess Scott didn’t notice that slight for what it was, a less than ringing vote of confidence on co-owner Gerhard Berger’s part.

“Gerhard and (co-owner) Franz have their own ideas about what they want to do with their future and they say things accordingly,” Speed said. “That’s nothing to do with my performance on the track, that’s for sure.”

Well, if you discard the fact Speed scored no points in 2006 or 10 races into the 2007 season performance isn’t a factor, if you do, well you get the picture.

Then there is a small matter of a reported “physical scuffle” between Speed and team boss Franz Tost after Sunday’s European Grand Prix.

It been a widely known secret the team has been “fishing for Sea Bass.”

The team has tested Sebastien Bourdais several times and Bourdais has little to prove staying in CCWS at this point. The three-time CCWS champ has plateaued career-wise. The reality is a fourth consecutive championship is noteworthy but a move into F1 would be a step up in prestige even if it is with the relatively uncompetitive Scuderia Toro Rosso team.

I think it’s safe to say Speed is gone. What is still in play is when he will be replaced. In looking at the Champ Car Schedule and the remainder of the F1 Schedule reveals two conflicts. The Turkish Grand Prix (24 Aug.) and the Grande Pr