Buemi downplays significance of 100th WEC start as title fight tightens up

As Toyota Racing driver Sebastien Buemi prepares to make his 100th FIA World Endurance Championship start in Sunday’s 6 Hours of Barcelona, he is, understandably, more focused on the title fight ahead than on reflecting on a sportscar career that has spanned multiple eras.

“I feel nothing,” the 37-year-old, highly motivated Swiss told reporters earlier today when asked about his century. “To be honest, I’m a bit surprised that people are making a big deal about it. Ultimately it’s a number and a lot of people will reach it in the future.”

Buemi can downplay the milestone all he likes, but few drivers have experienced as much of the WEC’s evolution as he has, having competed in the top class with Toyota since making a one-off appearance at Le Mans during the series’ inaugural season in 2012; few in the paddock can boast such a lengthy stay.

Still, with titles to fight for at the business end of the season, Buemi knows he can’t afford distractions, as it won’t be an easy weekend for him and his teammates, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa (celebrating above with Buemi, middle, after their victory at Fuji last month). The No. 8 TR010 HYBRID trio will look to score valuable points in the manufacturers’ world championship while protecting their 10-point lead in the drivers’ standings, racing in the deep Hypercar field on a circuit new to the championship.

The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is not only a new, late addition to the schedule, but its layout and abrasive surface also present significant challenges, particularly with tire degradation. The weather forecast is also poor for tomorrow and Sunday, with Michelin’s brand-new wet-weather compound looking likely to see action.

“When you are leading the championship,” he says, “you hope for a normal weekend. But we can’t choose this, with the weather, so we just need to be sensible. We should only take risks when we should take risks. We should be conservative when it makes sense to be conservative. We have to grab opportunities when they arise, as we did in Fuji.

“But this will be a tough race. It’s massive for tire degradation, close to Bahrain. We may see overtaking because of the drop-off between cars during stints, but it will be very, very hard to pass.”

The technicalities of the Barcelona circuit will make Buemi’s vast experience even more valuable than usual. Pablo Rodriguez/Quality Sport Images via Getty Images

There is something fitting about Buemi reaching the 100-race milestone at such a pivotal point in his career with Toyota, though. His longevity in sports car racing, underpinned by the competitive mentality and raw talent he possesses, deserves plaudits and its moment in the sun.

“Obviously, I’m very lucky, and I feel honoured to get this far,” he reflects. “I’m happy I stayed here with Toyota; it’s great to be a part of this team, and I know a lot of people who were at Audi and Porsche thinking they would have a long career, then they pulled the plug and stopped.

“The championship is more professional now. Before, we had more open regulations; you had to focus on reliability and performance. Now, because of BoP [Balance of Performance] and the way things have evolved, it’s all about the small details because everyone’s cars have more or less the same pace. It’s about strategy and avoiding penalties; it’s so different. The mindset has changed from when I started.”

Buemi was there for the highs of the fabled LMP1 hybrid era, when Toyota, Porsche and Audi committed enormous resources to their programs. He also experienced the lows, when Toyota was the lone major factory operation competing against smaller, less-resourced teams, before that ruleset gave way to the Hypercar era that defines the championship today.

He played a key role in Toyota’s long-awaited first Le Mans victory in 2018 and endured the infamous heartbreak of the 2016 race, when the leading TS050 retired at the end of the race while on course for victory. Through thick and thin, he's been there ready to race, racking up four world championship titles and 28 race wins – including four at Le Mans – in the process. His commitment and drive have never wavered, and he remains ravenous in search of more accolades for him and his team.

There is little mystery about which of his 99 completed WEC races stands out as his least favorite. His most memorable, however, might come as a surprise.

“What stands out for me, picking one race, is Bahrain 2024; it was so emotional,” he says. “I was leading; the drivers’ championship was over, but we were going for the manufacturers’ championship. I got a little touch from a Corvette in Turn 1, spun; after that, we lacked pace, we were saving tires, then when I jumped back in later in the race we were 12th or 13th, and I had new tires; I was the only one.

"I drove through the field and won the race. The emotions were strong. You could say winning Le Mans or the championship was the best moment, but that particular race was very nice.”

Even with 100 races on his WEC résumé after Sunday, and having decided earlier this year to step back from Formula E as a driver, at least for the time being, Buemi sees no reason why his career with Toyota should end anytime soon.

Reaching 150 WEC races is a realistic target, he says, and his schedule remains packed away from the championship, with work as a Formula E advisor, a simulator driver and a mentor to Red Bull Junior driver Chiara Bättig. There is little indication that he intends to slow down.

“What matters is you have to be competitive; you have to be fast. As long as I’m fast, it’s OK,” he explains. “I’ve always loved this. Obviously, when I had to miss a Formula E race in New York, and I lost the championship probably because of that, then when I went to the Nürburgring, and we did 100 meters before a technical issue, it was hard. At that point, both championships were growing; Formula E looked strong, and WEC looked like it was dying a bit. Then it came back.

“Trying to do both has been difficult. I wish I could have done it for a bit longer, but that’s the way it is; obviously, I still enjoy being here [in WEC]. We have such a good atmosphere in the team. I was with my kids from Monday to Wednesday, but I was really looking forward to coming here. I was genuinely really happy, not because I wanted to be away from home, but because I wanted to be with the guys, working hard, fighting for the championship. I feel lucky to be with this team, in the championship fight, still with the same passion.”