Why Rwanda beat South Africa to F1’s African return
Rwanda has secured Africa's first grand prix since 1993 even though it has no circuit, unlike South Africa and Kyalami. The deal says a lot about what F1 wants from a host now
Formula E and WEC driver Sébastien Buemi will serve as Red Bull Formula 1 reserve driver for the eighth consecutive season
Sébastien Buemi has been retained by Red Bull as its Formula 1 reserve driver for 2019. That means the 30-year-old will have remained with Red Bull’s Formula 1 team for 13 years and will be an F1 reserve for the eighth season running.
Along with his duties as Max Verstappen and Pierre Gasly’s reserve, Buemi will also contest the 2018-19 Formula E season with Nissan (he is currently ninth in the drivers’ championship) and continue to race in the World Endurance Championship ‘superseason’ with Toyota.
Buemi began testing with Red Bull in 2007 as he contested the GP2 season, and was promoted to a Toro Rosso F1 race drive in 2009. He drove for that team until 2011, but when Red Bull decided not to give him a full-time F1 seat he began a career in sports car racing after 55 GP starts.
He won the 2014 World Endurance Championship, took podiums in the 2013 and ’14 Le Mans 24 Hours, and finally won the race outright with Fernando Alonso and Kazuki Nakajima in 2018.
Furthermore, Buemi won the 2015-16 Formula E drivers’ championship with Renault.
Rwanda has secured Africa's first grand prix since 1993 even though it has no circuit, unlike South Africa and Kyalami. The deal says a lot about what F1 wants from a host now
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