SWISS DRIVERS WHO FLEW DESPITE THE BAN
For a country that has not allowed motor-racing events for 64 years, Switzerland has produced some very successful drivers.
As well as being home to the Sauber Formula 1 team, 22 Swiss drivers have started a world championship grand prix, with two – Clay Regazzoni and Jo Siffert – scoring wins. Four Swiss drivers have won the Le Mans 24 Hours. Six Swiss drivers have competed in Formula E, with Sebastien Buemi comfortably topping the championship’s win list.
But a lack of grassroots infrastructure is an obvious early stumbling block for aspiring Swiss racing drivers.
“It’s actually quite tough,” says Buemi. “We do have a good level in go-karts, but we have very few circuits so that means very early on you have to travel internationally and it’s not easy for everyone.
“It’s much easier [for young racers] to do a national championship than having to go directly outside when you are young and don’t even know if you’re going to be good or not.
“It requires lots of commitments from your family. But from when you start to do single-seaters, as long as you have the backing, whether you are from Switzerland, Germany or France, I don’t really see a big difference.”
In Buemi’s case, he was picked up by the Red Bull junior scheme when he was 14, and rose through the ranks to race for Toro Rosso in F1. He now combines his Renault e.dams FE commitments with a
Toyota World Endurance Championship drive, winning that title alongside Anthony Davidson in 2014.
“To be honest, I was lucky enough to have Red Bull on my side from very early on,” he explains. “So [growing up in Switzerland] it didn’t really make that big of a difference, because I had the backing and I could do the championships like everyone else.”
“IT’S QUITE TOUGH. VERY EARLY ON YOU HAVE TO TRAVEL INTERNATIONALLY”