Toro Rosso confirms Buemi for 2009

Scuderia Toro Rosso has confirmed Sébastien Buemi as one of its drivers for the 2009 season.

The Swiss was the favorite to secure one of the seats after testing for Toro Rosso for several days during the winter.

Now 20 years old, he was part of the Red Bull junior driver program. Last year, he competed in GP2.

“We are happy to welcome Sébastien to our team, who was already part of the Red Bull family,” said team principal Franz Tost.

Our engineers were impressed by his speed in the car and his ability to learn and progress during the tests he conducted for us last year.

« His impressive performances in GP2 were enough to convince us to give him the seat. His appointment also aligns with the objectives of Red Bull’s young driver program. It also meets Dietrich Mateschitz’s intentions to use Scuderia Toro Rosso as a showcase for young drivers from the parent company. »

Buemi will make his debut as an official Toro Rosso driver during the upcoming tests which will take place at the Portimao circuit in Portugal at the end of this month.

“I am naturally very happy to drive for Scuderia Toro Rosso this year,” stated Buemi. “Being a Formula 1 driver has always been my goal, ever since I started racing.”

« This year, I will do everything possible to achieve the best possible results and show that my nomination is justified in the eyes of Red Bull. I want to thank this same team for this unique opportunity and for all the help it has given me in my career, since 2005. »

Toro Rosso concluded by saying that Buemi’s teammate would be announced in due course. Sébastien Bourdais’ fans will once again have to be patient.