Wednesday 18 November at 08:31 : Nov.18 (GMM) Gerhard Berger says 2010 will show whether Bruno Senna is ready for formula one or not.

The Austrian, who was a close friend and teammate of Senna's famous uncle Ayrton, was a constant presence throughout the 26-year-old's accelerated rise through the lower categories to his 2010 Campos debut.

"I watched him for a long time," Berger, who at the end of last season sold back his share in Toro Rosso to Red Bull, told Austrian Servus TV.

"He had his considerable ups and downs. In formula one, he must show whether he has what it takes -- and it's hard to say beforehand.

"In the rain and in the dry, there have been races where he looks like he belongs in formula one, and there were others where you have to say he is not ready.

"I think he is going to jump into cold water now and see what he can do," Berger added.

Like many other pundits, Berger is concerned about the huge weight of expectations brought by the Senna name.

And he added: "He's coming in as a rookie with a new team, which is never ideal but you cannot choose. It was the chance he got, so he has to take advantage and make the best of it."