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Race Ace Sebastien Buemi and the Toyota TS030 Hybrid team clinched an emotional victory over the weekend at the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) which the former Bahrain resident dedicated to his much-loved cousin Laura who lost her battle against cancer.
The 25-year-old Swiss driver returned to the kingdom determined to win the 2013 World Endurance Championship - Six Hours of Bahrain, make his family living in the kingdom proud, as well as his father Antoine and brother Laurent who flew in from Switzerland to cheer him on.
Former F1 driver Buemi told GulfWeekly: “Coming back to Bahrain is always something very special to me, as I have great memories of the time I spent here when I was living on the island.
“Racing on this marvellous track is also very dear to me and particularly this time as we started during the day and finished at night.
“It has been quite some time since I last climbed on top of the podium, but my determination has always been intact. I continued working hard, more than ever, and never lost hope that better days would come.
“I would like to thank all of my fans for the tremendous support they have offered me. Bahrain fans have always been very supportive. As for my family, they continue to be behind me.”
It was especially moving for Buemi as this week marked the birthday of little Laura who lost her battle against leukaemia last year in July at the age of 11.
He said: “I would like to dedicate this victory to Laura, my cousin and God-child. There is not a single day that I do not think about her, about her courage, and the incredible determination she had when she was fighting against this terrible illness.
“When I think about Laura, it gives me strength and motivation, it also makes me forget about things that do not really matter and it reminds me to concentrate on the essential. Laura would have turned 12 on December 2.”
In 2009, Buemi lived in Saar, with his uncle Humbert, 52, an executive director and senior representative at UBS Wealth Management Bahrain, Aunt Sylvia, and cousins Frederic, 17, Steve, 14 and Laura. According to his uncle, Sebastien and Laura were very close.
Buemi was also thrilled to secure such a victory for Toyota as he has such a close connection to the marque.
He joined Toyota’s endurance programme to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the TS030 Hybrid team. In addition to his presence in F1, in the simulator and at various race weekends, it was important for him to continue competing at the top levels of motor racing.
Buemi said: “Racing endurance is very different to F1, because it is first of all a category where you team up with two other drivers. It is also a competition that lasts six hours, like in Bahrain, but can also go up to 24-hours in Le Mans.
“Unlike Formula 1 where most of the cars have similar performances, the Endurance championship comprises of different categories like the LMP1, LMP2, GTE Pro, GTE AM, etc..., where performances differ dramatically. It is therefore a sprint race during which the overtaking of other cars plays a very important part, as one can gain or lose time very quickly. It can also lead to dangerous situations and accidents.
“Toyota has been in my heart since a very young age – my grandfather Georges has been a Toyota agent in Switzerland for more than four decades. Racing now for such a prestigious brand and winning this particular race here in Bahrain has somewhat reinforced this bond.”
Buemi, Anthony Davidson and Stéphane Sarrazin roared across the circuit’s finish line in the No. 8 Toyota TS030 Hybrid in a hard-fought end-of-season victory with a total of 199 laps in 6 hours, 1 minute and 15.303 seconds.
Audi’s Andre Lotterer, Benoit Treluyer and Marcel Fassler managed a second place finish.
The other LMP1 teams – Toyota’s Alex Wurz, Nicolas Lapierre and Kazuki Nakajima, Audi’s Tom Kristensen, Loic Duval and Allan McNish, as well as Rebellion Racing’s Andrea Belicchi, Mathias Beche and Nicolas Prost did not classify.
Buemi said: “We came to Bahrain, knowing that we could do something great. Our team is strong and our car very competitive. Our goal was therefore to do our very best, without underestimating our opponents who have been strong throughout the year.”
After having completed three seasons in F1 with Scuderia Torro Rosso, Buemi was surprisingly dropped and changed lanes in 2012 by joining Red Bull Racing as a third driver alongside Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber. He has since been present at all the races and as part of the development team in the team’s simulator.
He said: “Being a test and reserve driver for Red Bull Racing, the four-time world champion F1 team, is something very special to me. I have a particular position, in the sense that I am responsible for all kinds of developments in the simulator, working closely with the engineers. I also have to continue training as before, as I could be called at any time to replace any of the two drivers.”
Buemi has signed a new F1 contract with Red Bull Racing for 2014 as a test and reserve driver and he will also continue doing the World Endurance Championship with Toyota so fans will hopefully see him again in Bahrain next year.
He added: “A seat in F1 remains my priority, of course, so I will try to do whatever it takes to be back behind the wheel of an F1 car, even if I know that things are a bit more complicated now, because of the financial crisis that hit many F1 teams.
“Bringing sponsors has become more important than ever. I will anyway do my best to continue proving that I deserve to be an F1 driver, at the wheel of a competitive car.”
