Ferrari has announced that Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa will remain its drivers until the end of 2010. The news suggests that Ferrari has decided that it does not want Fernando Alonso and cannot get Robert Kubica. This means that the rest of the market will now start to fall into place.

Fernando Alonso has decided against switching to BMW Sauber or Honda for the 2009 season, according to the Spanish daily newspaper AS.

The sports newspaper claims the 27-year-old Spaniard believes Renault, his current team, is likely to catch up with and pass BMW due to the sweeping rules changes next year.

Diario AS also said Alonso was reluctant to agree to BMW's contractual terms, where he would be bound to a multiple-year term rather than free - as he currently is - to accept a more competitive seat at the end of a season.

The newspaper said BMW finalized its offer to Alonso earlier this week, but that the former double world champion also turned down Honda's bid, on the grounds that the Japanese team is not likely to be competitive as early as 2009.

"Of course I have to look around at the possibilities for next year that exist outside of Renault," Alonso said in interview with Germany's Sport Bild.

"My priority is Renault, but only if we make a big step forwards with the 2009 car."

He confirmed that he has "three or four" options open to him for 2009, and that it is "no secret" that he has been in talks with Honda's team boss Ross Brawn.

Toro Rosso boss Franz Tost has told a Swiss newspaper that Sebastien Buemi will be signed to make his Formula 1 race debut with the Faenza based team in 2009.

The Swiss teenager this week tested the team's STR3 car at Jerez, as did Takuma Sato, as Toro Rosso looks to replace the Red Bull-bound Sebastian Vettel.

Tost, who admits that Buemi is team part-owner Red Bull's recommended driver for the post, told Le Matin that he was delighted with the youngster's performance in Spain.

"After what we have seen this week, and as long as we manage to find a suitable experienced driver to be next to him, I think we can take the risk to have Sebastien with us in 2009," he said.

"You can take that as an official declaration," Tost added.

The team's Austrian-born boss continued of Buemi: "He is very, very talented, and as we belong to the Red Bull family, we must help to support their drivers."

A race contract with Buemi has not yet been signed because "we are not in a hurry", but Tost indicated that it is only a matter of time.

Sato, the 31-year-old veteran of approaching 100 grands prix, remains an outside chance for a 2009 seat at Toro Rosso, especially while the future of Sebastien Bourdais is unclear.

"If they need me, I would be ready," the Japanese is quoted as saying by Switzerland's Blick newspaper.

Jenson Button has urged his Honda Racing chiefs to stick with Rubens Barrichello next year - as he thinks the team will be better off with two experienced drivers.

Honda have announced in the past few days that they are to test Brazilian youngsters Bruno Senna and Lucas di Grassi at Barcelona in Spain later this month as part of their evaluation process for a future race seat.

And although team CEO Nick Fry says it is important the team evaluate new blood, Button thinks Honda would be better off sticking with the experienced Barrichello for 2009.

When asked at a preview press conference for the Race of Champions whether he felt having two experienced drivers was vital for Honda, Button said: "Yes, definitely, especially with the new regulations.

"There are so many changes aerodynamically with the car, and with the KERS also, and the slick tyres, they will need a lot of feedback from us. And having a new boy in the car, I don't feel that you get as much feedback. But it is not my decision."

Button said that he felt Barrichello - who outqualified him 10 times this season - was in the best shape he had seen this year.

"He has driven better this year, than at any point since he has been with our team," said Button. "This is his best season and he says he is driving better now than he ever has done, and I don't think Rubens lies.

"He tells the truth, which is always good in a teammate, and he has put in some very good performances.

"The last three races have been his best. In the race we have been very similar in pace, but in qualifying he has beaten me in the last three races. He has done a good job."

Despite his feelings about Barrichello, Button believes the team were doing the right thing in trying out Senna and di Grassi

"Well it is interesting for the team and it gives them a chance, which is good for them," he said. "But I think it is important to test inexperienced drivers to see how quick they are because nobody really knows.

"Bruno almost won the GP2 championship, he finished behind Pantano who has been there for 10 years, but he might be astonishingly quick in an F1 car, we don't know."

Button's own deal for next year has not yet been confirmed, although autosport.com understands that provisional agreement about him remaining onboard has been reached.

"Nothing is sorted or signed but the team know how I feel and I think I know how the team feels," said Button. "Hopefully we can sort something out soon."

Red Bull buys out Berger

Red Bull has bought Gerhard Berger's share of Scuderia Toro Rosso and will once again own 100% of the shares in the Italian-based team, previously known as Minardi.

"I'm very grateful to Gerhard for his enormous input," said Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz. "Together we have made Toro Rosso a team which has regularly qualified in the top 10 and collected World Championship points. Red Bull will now run Toro Rosso alone, as well as remaining a partner of Red Bull Logistik."

The drinks company owns 50% of the transport company which belongs to the Berger Family, the other 50% remaining in the hands of Berger Beteiligungs GmbH.

The team scored its first victory this year at Monza with Sebastian Vettel surprising everyone with his pace in the damp conditions. The team has regularly outperformed TRed Bull Racing, which has been using Renault engines, rather than the Ferraris that Toro Rosso has used.

It is not clear why Mateschitz has decided to go down this path. He had previously announced that his stake in the team was for sale but there were no obvious buyers. While there are some who think that Mateschitz is buying the team so as to be able to sell the whole thing, others feel that Berger probably decided to sell when it became obvious that he would need to help fund the operation in 2009. With sponsorship hard to find at the moment, that would have meant dipping into his own personal fortune and that is not something that Berger is likely to have been keen on doing.

Reports in the Swiss and French press on Thursday suggest Sebastien Bourdais will shortly be confirmed as Toro Rosso's second race driver for the 2009 season.

The 29-year-old Frenchman raced with the Faenza-based team last year, but so far only the Swiss rookie Sebastien Buemi has been confirmed for the forthcoming season.

2009 would therefore be Bourdais' second season in Formula One, following his mixed debut when he finished the 2008 championship with just four points compared with his Red Bull-bound teammate Sebastian Vettel's 35.

It is reported by the Swiss magazine Speedweek, with close links to the team's owner Red Bull, that Toro Rosso selected Bourdais over the other candidate for the seat, Takuma Sato.

The French website sport24.

com speculated that Sato's expected personal sponsorship may have dwindled as the Japanese recession worsens.

Bourdais' manager Nicolas Todt would not confirm the news but insisted that "we are always in negotiations."

Moreover, the official website of the Ferrari-powered team is now showing Bourdais and Buemi as the drivers in the 'team' section.

According to our sources Bruno Senna has now signed for the Honda Racing F1 team - and an announcement that the team will be going ahead will be made soon. The team is expected to use Mercedes-Benz engines and Senna will be partnered by Jenson Button. Backing for the team - the name of which has yet to be announced - is expected to come from one or two of Senna's personal sponsors. Petrobras has decided not to continue its deal and is withdrawing from F1.

It is not clear when the announcement will be made.

There have been some rumours in recent days that the team may have the backing of none other than Bernie Ecclestone. This would not be a surprise as Ecclestone is keen to make sure that the teams are not unanimous within the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) and having a financial interest in one of them is a good way to ensure that this happens.

It is believed that the majority of the money to run the team will be coming from Honda itself as it is cheaper to pay to keep the team alive than it is to lay off all the staff.