Motorsport: Balancing justice
Two weeks after Sébastien Buemi's big triumph at Le Mans slipped through his fingers at the last minute, he himself ensured that he was spared a second traumatizing fate in a similar Hitchcock finale of the FIA Formula E Championship in London last weekend. One point behind Lucas di Grassi, Sébastien Buemi went into the [...]
Sébastien Buemi went into the first of the two races at Battersea Park in London on Saturday one point behind Lucas di Grassi. Because both were unlucky with the changeable weather in their qualifying groups, they had to settle for grid positions 10 and 12. They then showed a terrific race to catch up with great overtaking maneuvers, which brought them to 4th (Lucs di Grassi) and 5th (Sébastien Buemi). So the Swiss lost another two points.
But on Sunday morning, the completely unleashed Vaudois took pole position in the factory Renault FE15 and thus three important additional points. This meant that the race was tied before the all-important final run. Sébastien Buemi's teammate Nicolas Prost had won the previous day and lined up in second place, giving the Frenchman valuable shooting assistance. The Brazilian, who had started third, knew this and at the end of the long start straight he squeezed past Prost and the wall behind Sébastien Buemi and promptly shot him down under braking.
Sébastien Buemi demonstrates skill and nerves of steel
While Nicolas Prost drove to victory once again, the two accident victims dragged themselves to their pits, where they changed into the second car. Now Sébastien Buemi had only one chance: He had to set the fastest race lap and thus bring about the turnaround in his favor with the two additional points. Now Sébastien Buemi's driving class and nerves of steel were once again in evidence. The Swiss set fastest lap times twice in the heavy traffic of London, which the Brazilian was unable to parry. Lucas di Grassi capitulated and retired shortly before the end of the race, which meant that Sébastien Buemi and Team Renault e.dams were confirmed as Formula E Champions 2016. What a roller coaster of emotions the 27-year-old Frenchman from Aigle VD has experienced in the last two weeks! There is such a thing as poetic justice after all. In motorsport, too.
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Photos: FIA Formula E
