Bruno Senna’s racing career might never have gotten off the ground. After the tragic accident of his uncle Ayrton at the San Marino Grand Prix at the Imola circuit on May 1, 1994, the Senna family decided to withdraw Bruno from all motor racing. It was only in 2004, at the age of 21, that he took the wheel again in a promotional formula, supported by Gerhard Berger, the former teammate of the three-time F1 world champion. His debut in Formula BMW, in British Formula 3, then in GP2 (ancestor of today’s F2) quickly made people talk about him, beyond his surname.
It was only in 2010 that he finally realized his dream of entering Formula 1 with the Hispania Racing (HRT) team, formerly Campos which had just been taken over by José Ramon Carabante. But this dream quickly turns into a nightmare: the team is underfunded and technologically outdated. Aboard a Dallara HRT-Cosworth which is struggling to keep up with the pace due to major reliability problems, Bruno Senna has to be content to struggle at the back of the grid without managing to show anything other than mediocrity.
Bruno Senna in his Dallara HRT-Cosworth during the Brazilian Grand Prix in 2011 © ERIC VARGIOLU / DPPI
Move to Lotus then Williams
As HRT was seriously lacking in funds and Bruno Senna’s sponsors were not enough, it was not renewed for the 2011 season. The Italian-Brazilian not having shone, he found himself without a seat and joined Lotus as a reserve driver at the start of the season, before being promoted to second driver at the end of August after the dismissal of Nick Heidfeld. His driving did not convince the team director, Eric Boullier, who announced that he would be replaced by Romain Grosjean for the following campaign.
Bruno Senna in the Lotus at the 2011 Brazilian Grand Prix © ERIC VARGIOLU / DPPI
Bruno Senna found refuge at Williams in 2012, his uncle’s final stable. Here again, his performances are disappointing and therefore insufficient to convince decision-makers to offer him a long-term contract despite finishing sixth in Malaysia. The nephew of “Magic Senna” left Formula 1 at the end of the 2012 campaign, without really being able to prove what he was worth. Far from giving up, he signed with Aston Martin to compete in the 2013 World Endurance Championship (WEC) in the GTE Pro category.
Bouncing on land and in the air
For his return to the WEC, Bruno Senna took victory in his first race at Silverstone and won the 6 Hours of the Circuit of the Americas, but luck did not follow him at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. After starting on pole, Frédéric Makowiecki’s accident five hours before the end led to the British team’s withdrawal. He then embarked on the adventure of Formula E for the first season of the 100% electric championship, in 2014, joining his former teammate Karun Chandhok at Mahindra Racing for the 2014-2015 season. He finished tenth in the championship.
In parallel with the 2015-2016 Formula E campaign, he joined McLaren’s GT program as a development driver for the brand. Bruno Senna does not re-sign with Mahindra and leaves the electric single-seater at the end of the season. The Italian-Brazilian returns to Endurance with Rebellion Racing for the 2017 LM P2 championship, which he won with his teammate Julien Canal. He remained with Rebellion Racing until 2020, the year in which he took second place on the prestigious podium at the 24 hours of Le Mans.
- Bruno Senna and the Rebellion team on 2nd place on the podium during the 2020 24h of Le Mans © Xavi Bonilla / DPPI
Always in search of innovations, Bruno Senna joins Airspeeder in 2022, to become one of the pioneers in flying car piloting for a new kind of championship: the EXA Serie. This project, which combines mechanical sport and aeronautics, aims to revolutionize future mobility through competition. His heritage and experience in motorsport make him the ideal driver to represent and develop what aims to be the “Formula 1 of the air.” »
Participate in the family legacy
As a McLaren test driver, Bruno Senna participates in the design of models such as the 675LT. When the brand decided to pay tribute to the greatest driver in its history with the creation of the McLaren Senna, his nephew was naturally chosen to support this ambitious project. By providing his technical expertise and performance feedback, he guarantees that every detail of the machine is faithful to Ayrton’s heritage.
Beyond the simple heritage in motorsport, Auriverde is also involved in the Ayrton Senna Institute to perpetuate the three-time world champion’s dream of helping the youth of his country. This association, dedicated to the education of disadvantaged children in Brazil, works to offer opportunities and tools to young people from the most modest backgrounds, as requested by Magic Senna. By participating in fundraising campaigns, charitable events and educational initiatives, while remaining an active ambassador of the Institute internationally, “the other Senna” shows that the true greatness of a name lies in the impact it can have beyond the circuits.
ALSO READ > Bruno Senna: “This car is a summary of Ayrton! »
