Vitantonio Liuzzi has a 'good future' in Formula One claims current boss Gerhard Berger, despite his team's decision not to retain the Italian in 2008.
Scuderia Toro Rosso have signed three-time Champ Car champion Sebastien Bourdais to replace Liuzzi next year, having also dropped Scott Speed in favour of Sebastian Vettel.
That signing of Bourdais prompted speculation that the Frenchman could be drafted in for an early outing with Toro Rosso this season, but Berger has ruled out such a scenario.
Bourdais himself admitted he would welcome the opportunity as long as he was available.
When asked about if he would be interested he said: "As far as I'm concerned, as long as there was no date conflict with my Champ Car schedule, if Toro Rosso wanted me to do something and Newman/Haas/Lanigan let me, I would be glad to help."
Berger, however, insists that Liuzzi will see out the season with his team and makes it clear that the relationship with him is completely different to that they endured with Speed.
"We would like to stabilise the team now," Berger told autosport.com. "We had a difficult period with Scott, but we don't have difficult periods with Tonio. We would like to improve everything and it is time he finds his way and we find our way.
"It is not that we have a bad feeling with him, so I would like to see him do some good races. He has a good future."
Berger has, however, ruled out retaining Liuzzi in a testing role if the Italian fails to find employment elsewhere.
"Testing wise, we are going to have two drivers who need mileage," he said. "It is very difficult to tell someone he has a big future if he tests for Toro Rosso.
"Even a top team cannot offer a driver a good future in a testing position. So I can just say Tonio is a nice guy, he also can be quick at certain moments and it is a good moment to find another environment and find his potential better than we could do."
autosport.com
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