Sébastien
Buemi
Switzerland
·
WEC
Date of birth | 31 October 1988 |
|---|---|
Place of birth | Vaud, Switzerland |
Age | 37 |
Nationality | Switzerland |
Career start | 2003 |
Disciplines | WEC / Formula E |
Sébastien Buemi had his first taste of proper F1 power when he was just 15. It was the same year that he made the transition from karts to racing cars and, as luck would have it, TAG Heuer needed a young driver to take the wheel of a past-season Arrows F1 car. Sébastien was the man – or boy – for the job. That year he finished third in the German Formula BMW championship just behind another future F1 driver, Sebastian Vettel.
As the points kept on coming for Buemi, so did the opportunities to work his way up the open-wheel classes. In 2006, he raced in the F3 EuroSeries for the first time, finishing 12th overall.
He then made his debut in GP2 in 2007 and was in impressive form from the start. In 2009, he caught the eye of the Scuderia Toro Rosso F1 team, who signed him up later that year, making Buemi the first Swiss driver to race in Formula One since 1995. Séb continued to drive for Scuderia Toro Rosso through to 2011.
In 2012, Séb joined Toyota's endurance programme to compete in the Le Mans 24 Hours with the TS030 hybrid. In 2013, alongside his team-mates Anthony Davidson and Stéphane Sarrazin, he finished second at Le Mans, and third in the Drivers' title.
In 2014, Séb became FIA World Endurance Champion and also began competting in Formula E. 2015–16 was a mixture of highs and lows: just weeks after missing out on a win at Le Mans in the Toyota after a late mechanical failure, Séb's fastest lap won the Formula E title at the last race in London. He continued in WEC and Formula E in 2017 and finished in second place in both championships.
In 2018, the Swiss driver once again became the FIA World Endurance Champion and in the same year claimed the 24 Hours of Le Mans title. He would retain the crown in 2019, once again racing alongside Fernando Alonso and Kazuki Nakajima as part of Toyota Gazoo Racing.
The 2019 season also saw Séb narrowly miss out on the Formula E title, finishing in second place, while a disappointing 2020 campaign made the Swiss driver more determined than ever to reclaim the title he last won in 2016.
During the 2021 season, Séb won three races in the FIA World Endurance Championship and finished second at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, while also acting as a reserve driver in F1 for Red Bull Racing.
He went one better during the following season, winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans for a fourth time, as well as claiming a third FIA World Endurance Championship crown.
As well as winning titles for himself, Séb also assists others in their paths to glory, in his role testing new parts and set-ups in the simulator for Red Bull Racing that's been key in the success of Max Verstappen.
For the 2023 season, Séb will be seeking another title in the FIA World Endurance Championship and made the move to Envision Racing as he looks to reclaim the Formula E title.