What’s that old expression about going to the mountain if it won’t come to you? That’s exactly what Sébastien Buemi needed to do last week when Canada’s winter failed to deliver the goods.
Buemi and his Toro Rosso crew brought a Red Bull grand prix car to Montreal for a planned January 16 Frozen One ice run on the old Olympic basin that lies next to the paddock at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Unfortunately, unseasonably warm temperatures in Montreal left the ice too thin to support an F1 car.
He said: “I was more surprised than disappointed as I had heard how cold it can get in this part of the world and was interested to see how a country deals with being frozen all winter. And, yes, I hope to do a lot more laps when I come back in the summer for the race.”
Trying out the F1 car on the snow covered, 13-turn, 4.361-kilometre Circuit Gilles Villeneuve made Buemi and his team want more. Not to be beaten by something as trivial as the weather, the team decided to take matters into their own hands.
So, the Toro Rosso boys headed north in search of colder temperatures and thicker ice. They found it at Lac-à-l’Eau-Claire, about two hours north of Montreal, where they created their own private, icy Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
Using special Potenza F1 snow tyres, fitted with tungsten studs embedded in aluminum casings, the winter boots produced by Bridgestone Motorsport’s Technical Centre in Tokyo were more than up to the job. With 420 studs on each front tyre and 588 on the rears, Buemi found some much-needed grip on the ice track and hard-packed snow.
'When it rains really heavily, as happened at a few races last year, you feel as though you are driving on ice' - Sébastien Buemi
Although conquering a frozen race course may not boost Buemi’s confidence for the Canadian Grand Prix later this year, he felt the experience may come in handy one day.
He added: “I am still at the beginning of my career in Formula 1 so, to be honest, every opportunity I get to sit in a race car and do some miles is more than welcome.
“You can always learn something new. Of course, I don't expect we will ever have to drive on an icy track but, believe me, when it rains really heavily, as happened at a few races last year, you feel as though you are driving on ice. Aquaplaning and feeling nothing happen when you turn the steering wheel is a sensation that is best described as interesting!”
Racing on ice is the latest accomplishment for Buemi, who is no stranger to show events such as Frozen One. Although these demonstrations can sometimes get in the way of physical training and other aspects of his job, they are also a way to bring the sport closer to its paying customers.
He said: “Usually, the idea with show runs is to go to places that do not have a Grand Prix or countries where it is a new sport. Canada has a long tradition of motor racing, so this was not the case, but it was certainly an enjoyable event.
“When you are a driver for Scuderia Toro Rosso you know that promoting Red Bull and its F1 activity is an important part of your job, so I am happy to do it, especially as the atmosphere is much more relaxed than at a race weekend and you get a better chance to see things from a race fan's perspective.”
When he does get to race weekends, Buemi impresses. In his rookie season last year, the young Swiss driver finished with six points and four top-eight results. He made quite a splash in F1, scoring points in two of his first three grand prix outings.
While he found success in his maiden campaign, the forthcoming season promises to be very different from 2009 and to offer challenges posed by new rules and teams coming into play.
Buemi reflected: “I think it's going to be a very interesting season for us and in fact for everyone, with the big rule change that no refuelling is allowed during races.
“It will require a new approach to racing: Instead of treating each race as a series of sprints on low fuel, split up by the number of refuelling pit stops, it will be a case of dealing with a very heavy car at the start of each race, making sure you look after your tyres and brakes until the fuel load gets lighter.
“It is also a very important year for Scuderia Toro Rosso. The new rules say that every team must design and build its own car and, even if we did much of the work in [the team’s headquarters in] Faenza [Italy] over the past few years, this year we are truly going it alone, without any support from Red Bull Technology.
“In this respect, we have something in common with the new teams making their debut this year in F1. In my second full season of F1, I expect to perform better than in 2009 thanks to the experience I have gained and if the car is good enough, bring home some really good results.”
Before that happens, Buemi and his yet to be named team-mate will head to Valencia, Spain, for some winter testing in the new STR5.
While he says it’s too early to say how the new car will fare, Buemi remains confident that the team has put together a good package. Whether he is right or wrong will only be revealed when the green flag flies in Bahrain in March to open the 2010 season.
One of the new circuits he will visit this season will be Montreal, although he has now got a bit of experience after his winter excursion. Nevertheless, he can’t wait to return in June and is not ruling out another shot at the basin next winter either.
Buemi said: “I have heard nothing but good things about this race and everyone I know in F1 is really happy it's back on the calendar again. The race drivers tell me the track is a real challenge and everyone else talks about the great city and its nightlife, not that I will be sampling much of that.”
Many happy returns
When Sébastien gets back to the Toro Rosso headquarters in Faenza, he discovered there'll be a familar face joining him as his team-mate for the 2010 F1 season.
The Italian team has announced that Spain's Jaim Alguersuari is to return.
“Considering that he made his debut only halfway through 2009, at the Hungarian Grand Prix, with no prior testing, he did a good job, making steady progress throughout the second half of the year, with a mature approach considering he is still only 19 years old," said Team Principal Franz Tost.
“This season, he will again face a steep learning curve, as all the circuits in the first part of the season will be new to him."
The first test for the teenager will be the Bahrain Grand Prix in March.
Find out more about Scuderi Toro Rosso and Red Bull Racing, visit Red Bull F1.
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