Members area
LoginRegisterMotor Sport newsletter
Search
Formula 1Nigel RoebuckMark HughesReportsOpinionHistoryRaceVideoGalleryFormula 1Sports CarsUS SceneDriver columnsMotoGPHistoryEventsRoadTestsOpinionPodcastsHall of FameCars for saleDirectoryMagazineEditorialDigital editionCompetitionsHistoryEditorial TeamMedia PackArchive IndexContact UsSubscribeForumPhoto StoreInsuranceShop 27 March 2014 Formula 1 Sports Cars 5Buemi’s season gets underwaySébastien BuemiI got back last week from the Australian Grand Prix where I was working for Swiss TV and in my usual reserve driver role at Red Bull.
It was quite a weekend and a good recovery from us compared to where we were in pre-season testing. It’s a shame that Daniel has been disqualified, but we’ll wait and see what happens with the appeal.
Regardless of all that, it was great to see him finish second on track – a result of the guys at the factory working really hard and Renault improving the powertrain. It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly what made the difference, but Renault clearly made a big step forward in terms of managing the engine and getting more out of it.
Sebastian’s car problems were disappointing as he never really got going. Still, finishing second on track was a big moment for us. It goes to show that the team has what it takes to recover from a bad situation and not just lead from the front.
We expected Mercedes to be strong, and they were. The Mercedes-engined cars were all quick – especially Williams and it was a shame that Felipe had the accident with Kamui. Valtteri had a good race, but had a recovery drive on his hands after his tap with the wall. It’ll be interesting to see how close Williams is to the front if both drivers have clean races as they may not be too far off.
There’s been a lot of talk about the noise and the cars certainly sound different. The thing is that people love to come to a Formula 1 race and be blown away by the sound of it. The noise of the new V6s isn’t bad, but it’s definitely not loud enough, especially when Formula 1 is the pinnacle of motor sport.
Preparations for the WECPorsche and Audi have both tested their LMP1 WEC machines for the first time together at Sebring recently and it looks like Audi is in front, but it is difficult to trust that 100 per cent. We’ll see more at the Paul Ricard test and then, to know for sure, we’ll have to wait until the first race at Silverstone on April 20.
The new Toyota TS040
While testing doesn’t usually give you an accurate picture, you get an idea of where the teams are. If you have a big difference in lap times you can make educated guesses on what’s going on. If the two cars are very close on times then it makes it a bit harder.
Audi, as always, looks like it’s quick and Porsche is still finding its way a bit. I don’t know how long it will take until it’s up at the front, but they’re heading in the right direction.
Of course, its big signing is Mark Webber and I know what it’ll be like for him to adapt from a Formula 1 car to an LMP1 machine. He’s going to be straight on the pace, there’s no question about that, but there are some things that will take time. The WEC is, in the nicest possible way, a bit wilder than F1 in terms of how busy a lap can be. There are a lot of slower cars out there and some will react completely differently to others.
You know that when you get behind the official Ferrari it will see you and not do anything unpredictable. The same goes for the official Porsche, the official Aston Martin. When you get behind the amateur cars you won’t know which driver is behind the wheel, but you just have to be a bit more careful.
In a sense you have to relearn tracks because you have to find out exactly where you can overtake a GT car and where you can’t. You might be able to get round the outside on one turn, but have to follow it through another. It doesn’t take long and I doubt Mark will have problems with it. It just adds an extra layer of complexity.
Some tracks are better than others, of course, and the one that’s most difficult is Brazil. I love the track, but it’s very short. It’s a one-off and you just have to deal with it. Le Mans, despite the fact there are 56 cars on the grid, is actually fine. It’s a long lap and there are plenty of straights. To be honest, I’d prefer to be going to the likes of Brazil, Spa and Fuji rather than tracks with plenty of space to overtake because they’re so great to drive. They’re proper circuits.
Things are going well with our preparation for the WEC at Toyota at the moment, but we can only compare our times with where we were last year until we fight the other cars on the same track, on the same day, in the same conditions. If we were going to be a lot slower I think we’d know by now. Also, as you may have heard from the launch of the car today, the TS040 HYBRID will have 1000bhp when both the normally aspirated V8 and hybrid systems are used!
It’s so difficult before you actually get to the track, though, because you put so much energy into making sure you have a good car, making sure the Balance of Performance is right, all those sorts of things and then, maybe, when you get to the first test you’re two seconds off the pace, but it’s then too late to react. That’s motor racing, though… Our fingers are crossed.
Driver columns
Karun Chandhok
Lucas di Grassi
Dario Franchitti
Olly Gavin
Andy Jordan
Johnny Mowlem
Mads Østberg
John Surtees
Paul TracyFollow Sébastien on Twitter
Sébastien’s Facebook page
I thought current F1 cars were ugly until I saw this picture of the Toyota! I sure hope it goes better than it looks. Sorry, Sebastien :-)
Chris Hall, 28 March 2014 22:02Makes me think of a Mercedes Benz 100 for some reason !
Chris Hall, 28 March 2014 22:03Sorry MB 110
Rich Ambroson, 31 March 2014 01:21I’ve been trying to convince folks that the WEC is of more interest than Farce 1, part of the attraction being that the cars are less fugly than the Farce 1 jokes on wheels.
And then I saw the Toyota WEC contender. I nearly gagged.
That being said, I will prefer the WEC as a series over the (bad) joke that Farce 1 is.
N. Weingart, 31 March 2014 16:09I recall how Johnny Herbert described the difficulty in seeing into turns with the front fenders on the Audi. This new TS040 looks an even more daunting affair. I wonder what aero advantage they might offer. Imagine a Camry with front wings like those!
Similar content
Audio podcast with Emanuele Pirro31/03/14The five-time Le Mans winner joins the podcast team of Nigel Roebuck, Rob Widdows, Simon Arron and Ed Foster
3Formula 1 Race
Malaysian GP report by Mark Hughes31/03/14Mark Hughes on all the action in Malaysia where Mercedes’ advantage was nearly a second a lap.
35F1 Reports
Buemi’s season gets underway27/03/14Sébastien Buemi on the start of the Formula 1 and World Endurance Championship seasons
5Formula 1 Sports CarsAuthor
Sébastien BuemiRead Sébastien's profile and more …
Archives Select Month March 2014 (43) February 2014 (48) January 2014 (38) December 2013 (47) November 2013 (53) October 2013 (63) September 2013 (54) August 2013 (45) July 2013 (48) June 2013 (55) May 2013 (52) April 2013 (45) March 2013 (48) February 2013 (37) January 2013 (45) December 2012 (49) November 2012 (41) October 2012 (49) September 2012 (39) August 2012 (42) July 2012 (40) June 2012 (30) May 2012 (37) April 2012 (32) March 2012 (31) February 2012 (28) January 2012 (25) December 2011 (29) November 2011 (25) October 2011 (29) September 2011 (59) August 2011 (17) July 2011 (16) June 2011 (21) May 2011 (18) April 2011 (11) March 2011 (16) February 2011 (15) January 2011 (16) December 2010 (17) November 2010 (16) October 2010 (12) September 2010 (17) August 2010 (18) July 2010 (17) June 2010 (18) May 2010 (14) April 2010 (12) March 2010 (18) February 2010 (13) January 2010 (15) December 2009 (15) November 2009 (14) October 2009 (18) September 2009 (15) August 2009 (17) July 2009 (15) June 2009 (18) May 2009 (16) April 2009 (13) March 2009 (19) February 2009 (21) January 2009 (17) December 2008 (11) November 2008 (13) October 2008 (20) September 2008 (20) August 2008 (21) July 2008 (19) June 2008 (14) May 2008 (21) April 2008 (23) March 2008 (21) February 2008 (17) January 2008 (3) PollDigital Community
The new TS040 Hybrid in action at the Paul Ricard! #hybridpower #wec #roadtolemans instagram.com/p/mN-2A3HL5h/
@Sebastien_buemi 31 MarchRT @Toyota_Hybrid: #TS040 #HYBRID car 8 driver @Sebastien_buemi talks about today's progress toyotahybridracing.com/quick-catch-up… #FIAWEC #TOyota http://…
@Sebastien_buemi 28 MarchNice article from @Motor_Sport motorsportmagazine.com/race/sports-ca… http://t.co/pf5LrsgNoG
@Sebastien_buemi 27 MarchRT @LeMatinch_Sport: Toyota annonce 1000 chevaux sous le capot bit.ly/1rFROCR
@Sebastien_buemi 27 MarchIn Paul Ricard and ready to answer your questions on @Toyota_Hybrid ! #AskTS040 http://t.co/bypg9OEYzI
@Sebastien_buemi 27 March
Latest issueApril 2014F1 Revolution by Mark Hughes, Lunch with Paul Tracy, F1 Retro photo special, Peter Revson retrospective, Hall of Fame highlights, Oliver Jarvis interview, Race2Recovery on the Dakar Rally, new Chevron
SubscribeSave 23% and have every copy delivered direct to your home.
Subscribe ShopSubscribe and buy back issues, digital archives, and more.
Shop NewsletterBe kept up to date by Nigel Roebuck, straight to your inbox.
Sign up Media PackContact UsPrivacy policyTerms and conditionsFAQs© Motor Sport Magazine 2014Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our user agreement and privacy policy.
No comments:
Post a Comment