Rumours in the Swiss press suggest that
Sebastien Buemi could be on the move to
Ferrari this winter in a bid to boost his chances of returning to the top flight.
The former
Toro Rosso driver has been fulfilling the role of test and reserve driver for both the Italian team and sister squad
Red Bull but, like erstwhile team-mate Jaime Alguersuari, has been working through 2012 on ways to reclaim a place on the grid next season.
While Alguersuari has been linked to possible vacancies at Sauber,
Force India and Lotus in recent weeks, Buemi has been relatively quiet, but is now being mentioned in connection with a possible move to
Ferrari as replacement for current reserve Jules Bianchi, who is being tipped to fill the
Force India line-up alongside Paul di Resta.
According to Swiss publication
Blick, Buemi has been offered a contract extension by Red Bull, but is actively being courted by Ferrari, who believes that some of its struggles in 2012 resulted from having an inexperienced third driver in Bianchi.
Buemi, who also considers himself a candidate for the
Force India ride [
see separate story], raced sporadically for the new
Toyota sportscar team in 2012, but would be a valuable addition for the Scuderia thanks to his knowledge of the
Red Bull set-up and its cars.
Moving to Maranello may also open other doors for the Swiss driver, with
Ferrari powering a couple of other teams on the grid and, possibly, adding
Force India when the new engine regulations come into force in 2014.