Sébastien Buemi will be at Le Mans with Toyota
After losing his starting position at Toro Rosso and becoming the third driver for Red Bull, Sébastien Buemi was keen to maintain a competitive program. He has now been officially signed by Toyota to participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Toyota makes its big comeback in endurance racing with its TS030 Hybrid. Initially, the Japanese manufacturer had announced a single team, composed of Alexander Wurz, Nicolas Lapierre, and Kazuki Nakajima, but has since decided to enter a second team. One of the reasons for strengthening its presence is undoubtedly the competition posed by the two hybrid teams that Audi plans to field as of 2012.
The Swiss driver will be alongside Anthony Davidson and Hiroaki Ishiura. The English driver has solid endurance experience since he has already participated four times in this monument of motorsports, while the Japanese driver has completed six seasons in Japanese Super GT, always in Toyota or Lexus vehicles. The Swiss is thrilled to discover a new discipline: «I am really proud to be a Toyota driver at Le Mans. It’s a huge event and one of the biggest in motorsports. It’s even better to go as a Toyota driver since my grandfather was a Toyota dealer for more than forty years. I grew up with the brand. It’s also very exciting to drive a hybrid car. I think it’s the future, and it’s good to see Toyota pushing a lot in that direction. I have driven hybrid cars in the past (the first and second generation Prius) but the TS030 Hybrid is something else. I can’t wait to drive it since LMP1s are fast, and it’s a professional environment. So it’s going to be a positive experience for me.»
Sébastien Buemi will therefore be able to participate in the development tests of this brand-new car, alongside his obligations to Red Bull. The 24 Hours of Le Mans takes place, indeed, on a weekend without a Formula 1 Grand Prix.
With the participation of RacingBusiness.fr
