Sebastien Bourdais has moved a crucial step closer to making his Formula One debut for Toro Rosso in 2008.

The Faenza based team earlier took out a contract 'option' on Bourdais, a multiple Champ Car title winner, and it runs out at the end of July, according to the specialist magazine Auto Motor und Sport.

And with his successful recent tests for the jointly Dietrich Mateschitz owned outfit, the Frenchman has now also earned the crucial vocal backing of Gerhard Berger, the other 50 per cent shareholder.

"He has my support," Berger is quoted as saying. "Bourdais has done everything right, which is exactly what we expected of him. He has exactly the right attitude for the job."

Berger's comments are bad news for Scott Speed and Tonio Liuzzi, whose current seats are also under threat by BMW test driver Sebastien Vettel.

Bourdais, meanwhile, is also supported by STR team principal Franz Tost, who said of the Frenchman's first test: "On his first attempt, he was as fast as our current drivers, and he made not a single mistake."

Tost then said in a team-supplied interview this week that both Speed and Liuzzi 'need to improve'.