My Sebring…Sébastien Buemi
Ahead of the WEC’s first visit back to Sebring Raceway since 2012, we asked a number of drivers in our paddock about what it takes to get a good lap at Sebring, and what’s so special about the track. Next up, 2014 WEC Champion Sébastien Buemi!
They share the first three letters of their names and Sébastien Buemi will be hoping that the happy coincidence and harmony continues at the 1000 Miles of Sebring next month.
The 2014 WEC champion completed a three-day test with Toyota Gazoo Racing earlier this month and has re-confirmed his reference points on the daunting Florida venue – his first visit there since driving a Rebellion LMP2 in 2017.
For Buemi, the beauty of Sebring is in the challenge it presents to his well-known perfectionism at the wheel of his Toyota TS050 HYBRID LMP1 sportscar.
“I kind of love the fact of going back to Sebring. I like the track because it’s one of those old school circuits where there are many ways of driving it.
“You can ride the kerbs more or less, or you can go wide, or keep it inside. I feel that the more you drive, the more you learn and somehow with the new generation of tracks there’s one line and that’s it. There are not so many variables.
“At Sebring you have concrete, asphalt, very bumpy, destroyed kerb, more kerb, less kerb, so you have to be ultra-sharp in your driving on all levels. It offers up different experiences on an almost lap-by-lap basis.
“You change your line just to make sure you can upshift not on a massive kerb. Many, many things that, as a driver, present a real challenge.
“You have some white lines which are so old they’re black. You don’t see them anymore at night. At the newer tracks, this white line is perfect, and at night it reflects and you see the edges of the track very easily. But, at Sebring, wow it’s really hard…but somehow I really love it!”
