Sébastien Buemi: “I am very proud of my teammates” despite Hirakawa’s mistake

What is your feeling after this second place in the 24 Hours of Mans 2023?
We did our best. The start of the race was not bad, I had the impression that we were really in the running. THE Ferrari still went very fast at times. I thought the heat made the tires work better. Then, with the rain and the night, it was very difficult. We were lucky with the Safety Car, which put us back in the match.

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We had a little trouble keeping the front tires at the right temperature. At the end of the race, when the heat returned, we regained some momentum. It was the end of my last stint and the start of Brendon's (Hartley) two stints. We were simply slower.

The # 8 #GR010HYBRID driving into the dawn. 🌄#ToyotaGAZOORacing #GoHyper #WEC # LeMans24 #LeMansCentenary pic.twitter.com/LYFuRTzZ47

— TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WEC (@TGR_WEC) June 11, 2023

Why?
We can look for the cause but we have our own idea... That's how it is, we have to accept it and move forward. It's a bit disappointing because I feel like I dominated at the start of the year, and we had to take huge risks to fight (with the Ferraris).

How do you judge Ryo Hirakawa's accident at the start of his final stint?
I told him to attack as much as possible, everything he could. I have no regrets about that.

Will it still be a great edition for you?
It was very hard, tiring and exhausting. With the flood and the night, it was really complicated. I am very proud of my teammates, even if we are disappointed to finish second. We are leading the championship and we have a good opportunity (to be world champion. Editor's note) with only three races remaining. We will put the disappointment behind us and we will concentrate on the championship.