“I am getting better. I have a very good feeling with the car now and I have tried to improve myself since the Barcelona test. Driving a Formula One car is something different and I'm not someone who has had some seasons before. Now I have a lot of running - at the beginning that is very important,” said Buemi, stressing out his great runs came in spite of his poor experience in managing an F1 car.
Buemi insisted that, despite the official statements, the battle for the two racing seats with Toro Rosso will get tougher and proving himself ahead of great champions like Fernando Alonso, Kimi Raikkonen and even F1 'veterans' like Felipe Massa and Nick Heidfeld has given him a boost of confidence ahead of the testing sessions to come.
“I've been second or third a couple of times but to be first is a great feeling, especially the first time. It is also important because, although nobody wants to show it, there are three guys competing for two seats so it is not easy”, Buemi was quoted as saying by autosport.com.
“I am getting used to F1 now so why should I be slower? Maybe I did a perfect lap and maybe I didn't, but in the end to be in front of them is good for me. But I won't get crazy about it. I will still look at where I am losing time to them and try to improve,” he added.
Buemi's chances of landing an F1 seat for 2009 received a boost following the latest statement from Red Bull's owner Dietrich Mateschitz who credited the Swiss driver with the best shot of making his F1 debut in 2009. Now that Mateschitz gained full ownership of the Toro Rosso outfit – following Gerhard Berger selling his share of the team in late November – Buemi is likely to make the grid at the season opener in Melbourne.
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