Born in Le Mans in 1979 and with an enthusiastic racing driver for a father, Bourdais’ early life was dominated by motorsport and the young Sebastien’s career choice surprised few. After receiving a kart as a Christmas gift, he didn’t look back and, aged just 12, became regional champion. At 14 he clinched the national title before predictably turning his attentions to single-seater racing.

His first challenge was the 1995 Formula Campus series. Still finding his feet, he ended the season in ninth before switching to Formula Renault the following year. He finished seventh overall and stayed on for a second season to continue his apprenticeship. Although tangible results proved elusive, Bourdais used his time wisely and in ’98 he had accumulated enough experience to ready him for French Formula Three.

The switch paid off and he was named rookie of the year after a successful first season. In his second - 1999 - Bourdais found himself the dominant driver and took eight victories on his way to the title. A switch to F3000 in 2000, however, proved less spectacular, and the Frenchman claimed just one podium, with the Prost team. Nevertheless, he did impress in that year’s Le Mans 24-hour event, finishing fourth for Henri Pescarolo’s novice team.

But with his eyes fixed firmly on a Formula One drive, Bourdais knew he needed to shine in F3000. Switching to the DAMS team for 2001, he didn’t have to wait long. He was soon enjoying solid results, including his first series win at Silverstone, and in 2002 he proved the class of the field, fending off strong challenges from Giorgio Pantano and Tomas Enge to clinch the title with three wins and eight podium finishes.

As an international championship winner, Bourdais was now seen as a real Formula One prospect and after testing for Arrows he was offered a Formula One race seat for the 2003 season. However, when the struggling team went bankrupt, Bourdais’ big chance was lost. A second test for Renault looked promising, but a permanent drive with the French squad failed to materialize and in the end future world champion Fernando Alonso landed the seat.

Overlooked and disappointed, Bourdais headed to pastures new, crossing the Atlantic to North America and the hugely competitive Champ Car series. Signed to the renowned Newman-Hass Racing Team, Bourdais instantly impressed, taking pole position in his first two races and winning his fourth. Two further victories and another four podiums saw him named rookie of the year and his one-year contract was duly extended. His ascendancy continued the next season, when he won the championship with seven wins and 10 podiums, forcing his far more-experienced team mate, Bruno Junqueira, to settle for second.

Bourdais would dominate the series for the next three years in almost ‘Schumacher-esque’ fashion, winning the 2005, 2006 and 2007 titles. However, the allure of Formula One racing remained potent for the Frenchman and he jumped at the opportunity to test for Toro Rosso during the ’07 season. Subsequent sessions resulted in the Italian squad signing him up for a 2008 race seat.

It was a tough rookie season, as Bourdais struggled to match the car to his driving style - and to match the pace of star team mate Sebastian Vettel. Things improved towards the end of the year, but that didn't stop Toro Rosso considering other drivers for his seat and only in February 2009 did he learn he was to be retained, giving him one more chance to prove he can still shine amongst the Formula One young guns.