Sébastien Bourdais has slammed Toro Rosso for having a lack of ‘style’ after firing him through a text message.

Bourdais was given the boot after the German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring, following a long period of speculation that was culminated in the end of a Formula 1 career that spanned 27 races and just six points.

The Frenchman's point total represents an abysmal return for a driver who's made his name as the the record-breaking, reigning four-time Champ Car king. Bourdais struggled mightily to adapt to the team's STR4, admitting that compensating for a car 'was never my best strength'.

Bourdais did improve in the second half of the 2008 season - with half a dozen top ten qualifying spots from the last seven Grand Prix, and fell into the middle of the pack in most races. The current campaign proved to be his undoing as he failed to register higher than 14^th in nine races, and scored only twice this season.

To make matters worse, Bourdais was repeatedly surpassed by his rookie team-mate Sébastien Buemi, who some say should not even have made the team for this season. After finishing close to last at Nürburgring and 1.3 seconds behind Buemi, Toro Rosso pulled the plug on Bourdais, send the Le Mans native without much ceremony, replaced by youngster Jaime Alguersuari.

Bourdais later threatened legal action but his case was swiftly settle out-of-court.

"The way they got rid of me was very disappointing," the 30-year-old told French magazine Auto Hébdo. "Dietrich Mateschitz (Red Bull magnate) was at the Nürburgring but he did not speak with me. He did not call me. Everything was done by SMS, which to me has no style."