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Speedy Sebastien Buemi and the No 8 Toyota TS040 Hybrid team have been dominating the World Endurance Championship (WEC) series and aim to race on to another victory in the Six Hours of Bahrain challenge this coming weekend.
The former Bahrain resident and his teammate Anthony Davidson recently clinched their fourth win of the season in Shanghai, China’s WEC round, extending their lead at the top of the points table.
They are now 42 points clear in the championship with just 52 points up for grabs in Bahrain and the final WEC round to be held in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on November 30.
With the title within reach, the 26-year-old Swiss driver is determined to continue the winning streak at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, the home that is both near and dear to his heart.
Buemi said: “Coming back to Bahrain always represents something special to me as I have my family living here and it reminds me of the time when I was a resident of this marvellous country.
“I know the Bahrain track quite well, having raced here on many occasions and in different categories.
“My first race was during the BMW Finale in 2005, where I ended up second, and then, I had the chance to race in GP2 and in Formula 1 as well.
“As you know, in motor sport racing, nothing is certain until you see the chequered flag, but we will definitely come to Bahrain with the perspective of winning the race again, like we did last year.
“We have been leading the championship since the start of the season. Extending our lead in China was very important for us and we hope that we will be able to continue with similar great performances.
“Our car is very competitive and Anthony Davidson and I are very committed to bringing success to Toyota.”
Last year, Buemi dedicated the team’s victory to his much-loved cousin Laura who lost her battle against leukaemia in July 2012 at the age of 11.
In 2009, Buemi lived in Saar with his uncle Humbert, 53, an executive director and senior representative at UBS Wealth Management Bahrain and the Swiss honorary consul general, his aunt Sylvia and cousins Frederic, 18, Steve, 16, and Laura.
That was a good year for Buemi. He also signed on to race with Scuderia Toro Rosso making him the first Swiss driver in Formula 1 since 1995.
Since then, Buemi has been busy setting his career on the right track. Now the former F1 racer spends his days as a test and reserve driver for Toro Rosso’s sister team, Red Bull Racing, as well as being a member of Toyota’s WEC squad.
He is also a driver for e.dams Renault in the new Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) single-seater Formula E Championship, the world’s first fully-electric racing series. The championship which runs through to June 2015 features 10 teams competing in the heart of some of the world’s leading cities including London, Beijing and Miami.
Buemi said: “I have been very active so far this season, even more so than before. Aside from being a test and reserve driver for the Red Bull Racing F1 team and participating in the World Endurance Championship with Toyota, I started racing in September in the new Formula E Championship.
“In Formula E, the car is heavier due to the huge battery we carry, and therefore not as sharp as other racing cars, not as ‘handy’ I would say. It does not go as fast as a Formula 1 car; it has approximately the same speed as an F3 car.
“There is no clutch, only an accelerator and brake pedals, no slick tyres so the grip is not as good, but there is a real sensation of sliding into the curves.”
Buemi will be flying out to Malaysia for the second race of the Formula E Championship to be held in Putrajaya on November 22.
Until then, he is setting his sights on another repeat victory in Bahrain and is urging all motoring fanatics to come out to the BIC on Friday and Saturday to cheer on their favourite teams.
Buemi said: “I would like to thank all the fans in Bahrain for their tremendous support and I want them to come and watch us at the BIC for a fantastic endurance race. It is going to be great fun. Yalla Bahrain!”
The Six Hours of Bahrain is the seventh and penultimate round of the 2014 FIA WEC. This year’s race will be the third year in a row that the spirit of Le Mans will be felt in Sakhir, but it will also be the first time that the endurance spectacle will be taking place under BIC’s complete track floodlighting system.
Tickets are BD20 for adults and BD10 for children aged 12 and younger. Toddlers aged up to three will be able to attend with their families for free. They are being sold at the BIC sales outlet at City Centre Bahrain and can also be bought online from BIC’s official website, www.bahraingp.com or by calling the BIC Hotline on 17450000.
*Concert details and activities in Leisure Guide on Page 8
