ENVISION RACING’S SÉBASTIEN BUEMI CELEBRATED 100 FORMULA E STARTS AT THE DIRIYAH E-PRIX AND LOOKS BACK AT A GLITTERING CAREER SO FAR
“Well, it means I’ve been there for quite a long time!”
These are the words of Envision Racing’s Sébastien Buemi when asked what it means to have competed in 100 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship races. However, there is way more to this impressive motorsport century than simple longevity.
Buemi’s motorsport career is the story of one of the most versatile racing drivers in recent decades. Whether it be in single-seaters or closed-cockpit LMP1 machines in the World Endurance Championship (WEC), the Swiss driver has done it all.
This has included a 55-race tenure in Formula One with Toro Rosso, plus a stint as a Red Bull Racing test driver. Since 2012, Buemi has won the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans four times and claimed the WEC crown three times, and is the reigning series champion.
At the Diriyah E-Prix, Buemi celebrated his 100th Formula E race with a sensational pole position in just his second qualifying session with Envision Racing, and scored more big points to end the weekend third in the championship standings.
“I’m still enjoying competing in Formula E,” affirmed Buemi. “Obviously, it’s nicer when you can start at the front and fight at the front, and so far this season we have done that. I’m very confident that Envision Racing have the right tools, and can give me the right environment to do well, and that is the most important thing to me.
“It was emotional to win the pole position for the first race in Saudi Arabia this year, but winning races is the main goal this season, but being currently third in a championship is a nice thing. Hopefully I can build up on that and still be strong later in the season. That would be mega.”
Anyone for a slice? 🍰 pic.twitter.com/aEX8Mz3VqO
— Envision Racing (@Envision_Racing) January 27, 2023
Buemi’s recent pace and form with Envision Racing is no surprise. He started the very first Formula E race ever held in Beijing, back in September 2014, and went on to win three times that season, finishing second in the championship standings.
In season two of Formula E, Buemi went one better, claiming the championship in the season finale on the streets of London in dramatic fashion, where he overcame rival Lucas di Grassi by just two points. Unsurprisingly, this title triumph ranks as one of Buemi’s fondest memories from a century of Formula E races.
“My first win in season one at the Punta del Este E-Prix in Uruguay was an incredible achievement for me personally and a definite career highligh” recalled Buemi. “Obviously beyond that, when I claimed the championship title in London 2016, and maybe my last win so far in New York, which was back in 2019 – that was a very nice moment.”
Despite being one of the most successful drivers in Formula E history with a championship title and 13 victories, it hasn’t all been plain sailing. Buemi last stepped on the podium at the final race of the Covid-19 impacted season six in Berlin, and following that has endured a chastening couple of years
“The last two seasons for me have been hard,” admitted Buemi. “We were uncompetitive and it’s mentally been very difficult to deal with. On top of that, I guess losing the championship in season one and season three was hard to take. Losing out in season three was especially hard as I had to miss two races because of WEC commitments, and that made it hard to fight back.”
What. A. Finish. ⚡#DiriyahEPrix pic.twitter.com/Lsba9ZDihl
— Envision Racing (@Envision_Racing) January 29, 2023
Judging by the race and qualifying performances so far in 2023, it looks as if behind the wheel of Envision Racing’s Jaguar I-Type 6 the good times are back for Buemi. As the new faster and more efficient world of GEN3 gathers momentum, Formula E continues to push boundaries. For Buemi, it was a pleasure to have been involved in it all from the very beginning.
Reflecting on the early days of the series, Buemi stated: “I had no real expectation when I got into the car in Beijing as to what the future would be like for Formula E, so I was happily surprised by how professional and how big the whole thing was straight from the beginning. I hoped that the championship would grow quickly and that more manufacturers would join.
“I definitely did not expect it to grow as quick and as fast as it did, especially because attracting manufacturers and big teams to a new form of motorsport is not something simple. Overall, Formula E has done well, and I’m obviously delighted that I was there for the first race, and I’m still there. and I’ve now done more than a hundred races. I’m looking forward to the next 100!”