Toro Rosso to assess 2009 drivers

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Toro Rosso will evaluate three drivers at next week's first post-season Formula One test as they seek to finalise their line-up for 2009.

Sebastien Bourdais, who raced for the team in 2008, will be joined by Red Bull tester Sebastian Buemi and former Jordan and Honda driver Takuma Sato.

The drivers will be evaluated over three days at Spain's Circuit de Catalunya, starting on Monday.

Both Toro Rosso seats are up for grabs after Sebastian Vettel joined Red Bull.

Frenchman Bourdais, a four-time winner of the US-based Champ Car series, is battling to convince the team he is worthy of a second season in F1 after an up and down debut year.

Buemi, from Switzerland, is a member of the Red Bull junior team while Japanese Sato is aiming to revive his career following the collapse of the Super Aguri team early in the 2008 season.

Brazilians Rubens Barrichello and Bruno Senna are also believed to be contenders for a Toro Rosso seat.

Veteran Barrichello is also in with a chance of staying at Honda next season alongside Jenson Button.

Senna, the nephew of the late three-time champion Ayrton Senna, is also in the frame at Honda - he is testing for the Anglo-Japanese team at Catalunya next week.

The former Minardi team, bought by Red Bull in 2006, won their first race last season, with Vettel taking the chequered flag in Monza.

They outstripped senior team Red Bull in the second half of 2008, when they were often battling to be best of the rest behind title contenders Ferrari and McLaren.

They use the same car as Red Bull, but fitted with a Ferrari engine rather than the Renault used by the senior team.