"Almost broke my hand!" - Buemi calls for adjustments to Formula E track design after Sao Paulo crash

Once again, Sebastien Buemi was left with only the option of damage limitation after an early crash. However, after a starting accident with Maximilian Günther at his Formula E debut in Sao Paulo, in which he said he "almost broke his hand," the Swiss driver's ire is directed primarily at the design of some Formula E circuits.

In Brazil, Sebastien Buemi was the victim of a collision in the starting phase of a Formula E race for the second time in a row. After Pascal Wehrlein (Porsche) had ripped him impetuously out of the top 10 of the Cape Town E-Prix just four weeks ago, the Swiss got into a tangle with Maximilian Günther (Maserati) in Sao Paulo. This time, however, it was Buemi himself who rear-ended his opponent - albeit unintentionally.

Shortly before, Günther had cut corners 1/2 short after a braking error and - in contrast to what the FIA stipulates - rejoined the field ahead of Buemi without a full stop in the run-off zone. When the field piled up a few meters later in chicane 4/5, the German had to slow suddenly due to a car in front of him. Buemi was unable to take evasive action and got on the rear wheel of the Maserati driver.

Something similar had already happened to Robin Frijns (ABT Cupra) in Mexico City when he collided with Norman Nato (Nissan) and broke his wrist. Buemi also complained of severe pain in his right hand immediately after the crash. "Damn, I almost broke my hand, just like Robin! The guy braked in the middle of the corner, he practically stopped," he raged over the incident while still on team radio.

Buemi after the race at the medical center: "It hurts a lot!"

When his race engineer advised him during the safety car period called a little later to check the mobility of his hand on a straight, Buemi said, "I think it's right for me to go to the race doctor after the race. It really hurts a lot!" And then, "These chicanes should be banned."

Frijns and Buemi comparing war wounds! Da Costa holding his lunch in. Gnarly injury for Seb B. Nasty! #FormulaE pic.twitter.com/JU83CGEUut

- sniffermedia (@sniffermedia) March 25, 2023

On several occasions, dangerous situations have arisen in tight chicanes like the one in Sao Paulo. In particular, the tight starting corners in Bern caused chaos in 2019 - the race was even interrupted with red flags after an accident. In the same year, there was also a race interruption - conjured up by Formula E in Buemi's perception - due to an accident in a tight chicane in Rome. Pascal Wehrlein also said after the race, "There was always a bit of congestion in the tight corners, and then you can't avoid hitting the car in front in the back."

With a bandaged hand, Buemi told colleagues of 'The Race' after the race: "They can not currently tell me whether the hand is broken or not. I fly home tomorrow and will be x-rayed there. So tomorrow we will know more." He also shot back at Günther, saying that the accident would not have happened if the German had stopped beforehand in accordance with the clear rule when he took a shortcut through the chicane.

In pain, Buemi nevertheless worked his way through the field in Sao Paulo most efficiently. While his brand colleagues Mitch Evans, Nick Cassidy and Sam Bird fought out the victory among themselves, the Swiss rolled up the field from behind after the Günther incident. In the end, he made it to the finish in 10th place and thus even collected another championship point. Eleventh place went to, of all people: Max Günther.

Cassidy celebrates 3rd podium in a row

Nick Cassidy, who made several overtaking attempts against Evans on the final lap, is pleased with his Sao Paulo E-Prix despite narrowly missing out on a race win. "How could I not be?" asks the New Zealander. "I had great fun in the car, I hope that came across on TV. A triple win for Jaguar is pretty cool. To win by myself, I would have had to pull something special out of the hat. But because the risk of only finishing third was very high, I opted for the safe option and held back."

The 28-year-old finished on the podium in Sao Paulo for the third time in a row, consolidating his position in the Formula E drivers' standings. After six of 16 completed races, he is now just one point behind second-placed Jake Dennis (Andretti). Buemi dropped behind Sam Bird and Antonio Felix da Costa (Porsche) and is now seventh overall.

Popping bottles and Nick Cassidy, name a more iconic duo... We'll wait ? pic.twitter.com/On4iz46Xxj

- Envision Racing (@Envision_Racing) March 25, 2023