http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/15122008/13/buemi-wants-button-str-team-mate.html Buemi wants Button as STR team-mate Mon 15 Dec, 01:58 PM Sebastien Buemi has admitted his desire to be teamed alongside Jenson Button at the Toro Rosso team in 2009. Although not yet confirmed to debut with the second Red Bull team next year, even the 20-year-old rookie Buemi admits in an interview with Switzerland's Blick that the contract is now just a formality. "I am hoping for a strong team-mate for 2009," he told the newspaper. "For, the best of all would be Button." 28-year-old Button, a veteran of more than 150 Grand Prix, is currently exploring his options after the withdrawal of the Japanese manufacturer Honda. Buemi admits that Button going to Toro Rosso is an outside bet, especially given the likelihood of someone buying the Brackley-based team in the wake of F1's cost cutting measures. With Buemi believed to be secure in one STR seat for 2009, contesting the second cockpit recently have been Sebastien Bourdais and Takuma Sato. Buemi, switching to the Red Bull Racing cockpit from Monday at Jerez, believes he was the quickest Toro Rosso runner last week. "At the test before in Barcelona I was about three-tenths behind the experienced guys, but (at Jerez) I had Bourdais and Sato under control," he claims. "On Tuesday and Wednesday Vettel is coming, which will be a good comparison for me. Three months ago he was better than me by two-tenths, but I am in better form now because I have more experience." The 2009 Toro Rosso, designed by Red Bull Technology but to be built at Faenza, will be ready at the end of February Go Button!
Apparently if it's not Honda, it nothing with Button. Also read he's interested in ALMS. Good god, not Sato again. Carol
Does that mean they're shopping the team with him as a contracted driver? I could see why they'd do that for added value.
I know two Sebastians, I'll ask them if they ever considered becoming a F1 driver... seems that your chances are pretty good at STR with that name...
Isn't Buemi counting his chickens a bit too early? He doesn't even have the seat yet. Bourdais and Button would be the smart choices.
Buemi has blown Bourdais away in shoot out testing. He is a given for STR. After the indestructible Rega, we finally have another Swiss driving a Ferrari. Hopp Schwiiz!
Button Unless RB sends Webber packing and snatches him up. In that case it is a flip of the coin between Seabass and Sato.
I think Button will stay with Honda, in whatever form they'll be in next year. I'm picking Buemi and Sato for STR, and keeping Bourdais on as a tester.
Good scenario as well. I guess it all depends on how fast a realistic buyer can be found for Honda. That shouldn't be so difficult anymore, now that each team gets a "discount" of 100 million USD courtesy of the new FIA rules.
Good for him. I find it a bit strange that he can get a ride but Lucas DiGrassi, who seemed to be the fastest guy in GP2 last year, only gets a test with Honda and his regular Renault test gig. Buemi must be bringing some money too.
Well, Di Grassi is quite good. We saw the testing times, and although we have no idea of the programs they were running, Senna was quite quicker. Now, I don't believe Senna is significantly better then Di Grassi, but we also know that Senna has sponsor and personal money up the ass. I haven't heard anything about Buemi having a lot of backing, but I certainly wouldn't doubt it. Di Grassi may not have much backing, but he did have the ~$2 million US dollars, for seats in GP2 in 2006-07, that 2 mil for each year btw, before he sat out 6 races in 08 and made a "Carroll like" comeback.
This is true but testing doesn't tell the whole tale. Senna was fast but a bit unlucky to be sure and had an up and down year. He seemed to never figure out qualifying. He always seemed to have to work his way up from the back. DiGrassi didn't even run the whole season and was still way up in the points indicating he was more consistent. Actually I don't see why STR is even considering Buemi with these two other guys around.
I don't see why Buemi is being considered either. He's what, only 19? Granted he done testing for RBR in 07-08, but the only reasons that I can think, is that Redbull want to promote their junior drivers, and he perhaps has some additional funding with him.
Buemi again set fastest times in testing today. This time he drove the RB. And he beat everybody including Vettel! What might also speak for Buemi is the fact that he is Swiss. Mateschitz is Austrian, they speak (almost) the same language and Mateschitz seems to like German/Austrian/Swiss drivers if you look at his past hiring for drive and testing. Just speculating.
If it was known that he had an equal setup to the other Redbull/STR drivers, then yes that would be impressive. Although, he's been up against Sato and Bourdais, who we both know aren't up to getting the most out of a F1 car. This is Vettel's first day back isn't it? Either way, I think it's certain that Buemi is good, but great? Let's wait and see during the season. I haven't heard anyone talk this kid up, Schumacher talked up Vettel and Hamilton well before they made it to F1, Kubica was rated highly by BMW, Williams rated Rosberg etc. conversely, Sutil had mega money behind him, so that fast tracked him to a seat, although he was smoked by Lewis in F3, and on the same team (15 wins for Lewis, 2 for Sutil) So I hope he isn't being brought to the fore just for having the funds.
Well all we can say after the test is, that he is fast. That doesn't make a race car driver yet, so yes we'll have to wait for the season. But being fast is a good start. True, nobody talked him up (except the German speaking press) because he is brand new. Nobody spoke much about Vettel (except me ) when he did his first few test runs. True also that we don't know the setups of the cars, but if you look at the many laps both Vettel and Buemi did, one can assume that it was comparable equipment. In the end Buemi beat Vettel by 2 tenths. Not sure Vettel was gunning hard or not. He has nothing to proove. Why so careful? Did I mention that he is driving a Ferrari? Doesn't that automatically sway you?
Vettel was 19 when he had his first race for BMW-sauber. And scored a point at that. And look what came of him? 1 race win last year, drives for red bull now (although that may be a mistake looking at the success of STR last year compared to RB!).
