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DETERMINED Sebastien Buemi aims to take advantage of the opportunity he has been handed by Red Bull Racing after being discarded by its sister team Toro Rosso.
He has been appointed as the top team’s test and reserve driver playing the role of back-up for German double world champion Sebastian Vettel and Australian Mark Webber.
In an exclusive interview with GulfWeekly, Buemi, who until recently lived in Bahrain with his uncle Humbert, said: "I am very happy to continue my career with Red Bull and to be third and reserve driver.
"This means that I will be working very closely with the team, being present during every single week-end GP. My job will also consist of developing the potential of the car in the simulator and participating to promotional events. Needless to say, I am eager to show even more my full potential to the team."
The 23-year-old, who had been with Toro Rosso since the 2009 season, was axed for 2012 to make way for Aussie Daniel Ricciardo and Frenchman Jean-Eric Vergne, both products of the Red Bull Junior Driver Programme.
Buemi first became aware that he was to be ousted while working in the Red Bull simulator at Milton Keynes in the UK but refuses to criticise the team or the manner of his departure.
Buemi was a product of the celebrated Red Bull Racing training scheme and was also named the team’s reserve driver in 2008. Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said: "It was entirely logical for Sebastien to continue with Red Bull having been a member of the Junior Team since 2004.
"He already knows the team well from his time with us in 2008 and has gained significant race experience over the past three years. He will complete important test and simulation work for us throughout the year and will be in attendance at each grand prix."
Buemi’s family in Bahrain is confident that he will be back on the F1 track full-time in the future. Buemi Snr, 51, an executive director and senior representative at UBS Wealth Management Bahrain, from Saar, said: "I have to say that I had quite a shock when I first heard that Sebastien would not be racing for Toro Rosso in 2012. As you can imagine, this was quite late in the transfer season, therefore not offering him a lot of chance to remain on the grid.
"Even though we respect the decision, I am strongly convinced that Sebastien, and his former team-mate Jaime Alguersuari for that matter, did a tremendous job last year.
"In my opinion they have strong potential and I really look forward to seeing both in Formula 1 soon.
"Regarding the move to Red Bull Racing as third and reserve driver, I strongly believe that it was the best choice in the circumstances.
"Sebastien will have the important task of developing the car in the simulator throughout the season. He will also be present at every single F1 weekend, replacing any one of the current drivers should anything happen. He will therefore remain closely linked to the F1 circus."
According to international media, Helmut Marko, who oversees the driver development programme of Toro Rosso and its big brother, Red Bull, had insisted that Swiss-born Buemi and Spaniard Alguersuari were given enough time to show that they could be future champions and that neither had shown ‘superstar potential’.
He said: "Toro Rosso was created to give young drivers a chance. Alguersuari and Buemi had it for three years and after this time it’s possible to evaluate a driver’s development.
"We haven’t seen in them any possibility of growth. Both are worthy of Grand Prix racing. But for us that’s not enough. We need winners."
Hardly surprising, these harsh words have little support in the Buemi household. The driver’s uncle added: "As you know, in Formula 1, the car and the team strategy represent a significant weight in the success of a driver. Look at Jenson Button, this is a perfect example. He was almost made redundant in 2008 and yet in 2009 he became world champion Ö with the right car and the right team.
"Sebastien has always been very competitive in all the categories leading to Formula 1. And even in F1, when the car was right, he was scoring points. One has also to realise that finishing in the points with Toro Rosso can be considered like winning a race!
Buemi Snr continued: "And, perhaps without the several incidents that occurred throughout the championship last year, Sebastien would have been able to score even more.
"Therefore, I remain confident that he will be back at the wheel of an F1 car soon, and that he will be able to show his full potential. I am just eager to see him racing at the wheel of a competitive car, alongside another top driver.
"I can assure you that he is strong, both physically and mentally. And, after what happened this year, after facing so many problems with his car, another driver would have simply been discouraged for good.
"It is always during such moments that you recognise who your true friends are! Believe me, Sebastien will come back stronger than ever!"
In the meantime, Vettel will also be tougher than ever this season, according to Red Bull owner and energy drink billionaire Dietrich Mateschitz.
The 24-year-old German dominated last season, winning 11 races with 15 pole positions and becoming the youngest ever double champion with four rounds to spare.
"Sebastian has got better and is stronger than ever," Mateschitz said. "He has trained over the winter like he never did before now and he certainly won’t disappoint.
"What he needs for the third title is a competitive car and we will be able to evaluate in the first tests in Jerez in February where the team is heading."
Mateschitz defended the decision to stick with Australian Mark Webber, who won just once last year after being a championship contender in 2010, as Vettel’s teammate. "Mark is one of the best," he said. "He’s one of the physically best prepared drivers ... with a new number one mechanic at his side he will certainly not make life easy for Sebastian."
The Austrian expected McLaren to be Red Bull’s closest rivals again, followed by Ferrari and Mercedes.
