No love lost between Bourdais and Doornbos

After today's Mont-Tremblant Champ Car race Sebastien Bourdais accused race winner Robert Doornbos of blocking him on the race track. The fact that they are now tied in the point standings makes the rest of the year look like it will be a real heated battle. To the right Doornbos mocks sourpuss Bourdais on the victory podium.

The following war of words occurred during the post-race press conference.

Q. Robert, what do you have to answer to Sebastien about those criticisms, saying that you're not racing the way it's supposed to be in Champ Car? How different is it supposed to be? How are you taking this criticism? You did win the race.

ROBERT DOORNBOS: It's very easy. First of all, I'd like to thank Sebastien for all his compliments he made. He congratulates me.

I mean, I fully think that I deserve this victory. I'm very happy for this team and for myself. But to see what happened on track, I know that the rules in the U.S. are different, a different way of racing. In Europe, we race hard. In Formula One, we race hard. It's a sport.

At the end of the day, you're fighting — you have to be selfish, you're fighting for your own positions. In the U.S. I have to respect the new rules. I paid the price last weekend in Cleveland where I felt that basically I made a mistake and the race director of Champ Car gave me a penalty, a drive-through, so my race was completely destroyed. With a bit of luck and good strategy, we got back on a good result.

So I am for sure respecting the rules of racing in the U.S. In these conditions, though, you cannot predict what happens because, like everybody says, you're driving on slick tires in the wet, you're driving on wets tires on parts of the track which are dry. You're all over the place looking for grip.

If Sebastien feels that he could have passed me, he should have done it. I felt I was quicker.

SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS: I only wish I could have. Had you not thrown me in the grass, maybe it would have been all right.

Q. Sebastien, when you went up on the podium, the fans booed you. I'd like to know what your reaction is to being booed when you finish second and you're series champion.

SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS: It's too bad, you know. What can I say? I just said things the way I feel they are. I'm just being honest with everybody. You know, I think I'm big enough to say when I'm doing something wrong. Just trying to be honest, that's all.

You know, it's a sport. It's true. There are some rules. We're all supposed to obey the same rules. That's it.

Q. Not to belabor the point, but standing in the pit lane watching the race and with the monitors on, I didn't see the incident that you're talking about.

SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS: Fair enough. It happened two times on track and once in the pits. I know exactly what happened. He knows exactly what happened. You know, after that, if race control did not see it either, sometimes it happens. You know, it doesn't stop me from saying what I feel. That's all. When it's dangerous, I feel like we're in sixth or seventh gear, somebody is trying to run you in the grass, to me that's not very safe. What am I going to say about it, you know?

Q. When did it happen?

SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS: Going into turn eight and two laps later going into turn 10 when I was on the 'push to pass'. He just ran me in the grass, so I had to back off. That's it.

You know, I'm not going to make a fuss about it. I'm just being honest, you know. All I can say is apparently being honest is not always serving you right, but that's the way I am. I've always been like that. So I'm not going to start lying to you guys because you want me to, that's all.