Buemi still in dark despite rise of Ricciardo

Sebastien Buemi in Turkey admitted he is still in the dark despite Toro Rosso making clear plans to replace one of its regular drivers at the end of 2011.

Team boss Franz Tost said earlier at Istanbul that Friday driver Daniel Ricciardo is being groomed this year for his grand prix debut with the Faenza based team in 2012.

Swiss Buemi and his teammate Jaime Alguersuari know they are under pressure but Buemi told L’Equipe that - officially - they remain in the dark.

"There hasn’t been a meeting, head to head, where I’m told ’this or that is going to happen’.

"But I haven’t fallen from the moon - he (Ricciardo) is there to be in the car sooner or later," admitted the 22-year-old.

"My goal is to move forwards. The logic of a junior team is to have space for new drivers and identify the ones who are strong."

The trigger for the musical chairs could be the departure at Red Bull of Mark Webber, a move that could possibly open a space at the senior team for the best Toro Rosso runner of 2011.

"Of course my goal is to be in that car," said Buemi. "But before that I want to prove that it wasn’t possible to have someone better at Toro Rosso.

"So I’m not thinking ’What if Webber stops, what if this, what if that?’ I can’t influence that, only what I am doing."