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Post by Anna on Sept 2, 2011 20:12:47 GMT
#9 Bruno SennaDriver InfoFull Name: Bruno Senna Lalli Age: 27 Nationality: Brazilian Twitter: BSenna Website: www.brunosenna.co.uk/beta2/index.htmlWikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruno_SennaF1 StatisticsRaces: 21 Debut: 2010 Bahrain GP Points: 2 Wins: 0 Podiums: 0 Highest Finish: 9th (2011 Italian GP) Pole Positions: 0 Highest Qual: 7th (2011 Belgian GP) Fastest Laps: 0 Drivers Championships: 0 Highest Championship Pos: 23rd (2010) Current Championship Pos: 18th (2 Points) Recent Championship Pos2010: 23rd (0 Points, 0 Wins) Team History2010: HRT 2011-Present: Renault Notable Achievements 2008 GP2 Championship Runner-Up
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Post by Anna on Sept 4, 2011 14:15:29 GMT
Because there is no Lucas thread yet....
From today's Monaco Triathlon. Only a small bit but LUCAS!
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Pete
F1 Fanatic
Petonyo
Posts: 215
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Post by Pete on Sept 4, 2011 14:27:15 GMT
And that is why we need a Lucas thread . But yay for a Lucas video and him looking very cheerful!
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Post by Anna on Sept 4, 2011 14:37:05 GMT
Be quiet Pete at least there was SOMEWHERE to post it.
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Amanda
F1 Fanatic
#WINNING
Posts: 213
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Post by Amanda on Sept 4, 2011 20:58:31 GMT
I knew Lucas was doing it, didn't realize that Bruno was doing it too! I knew he'd planned on doing it but didn't think he had found a partner. Not seen any photos of them yet.
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Post by Anna on Sept 4, 2011 22:39:19 GMT
I think by the sound of it Bruno was in a team, but haven't really paid much attention to any of the news coming out of Monaco so not sure who he was with (though I think Alex Wurz was there so maybe him?)
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Post by Anna on Sept 6, 2011 14:26:04 GMT
Senna answers fan’s questions (Part 1)
"I managed to catch up quickly and put a good performance for the team"
Friday 2 September 2011 - 09h34, by Olivier Ferret On Monday, LRGP asked fans to come up with questions for Bruno Senna who has picked a selection and provided the answers here.
Bruno will also be giving the answers to more questions tomorrow.
Zeynep Yazıcı: What do you think about the Turkish GP dropping off the 2012 calendar?
It’s a shame for me, as it’s one of the few new circuits on the calendar that has a nice flow and very challenging and fast corners.
Mark Gribben: What do you see as your biggest challenge in the coming races?
It will be adapting with the team and catching up with Vitaly and the other drivers in terms of race experience and car set-up.
Dmitry: What is the most important car adjustment for Monza?
In my opinion, the car must be very stable on braking and corner exits, as the Pirelli tyres seem to suffer a lot during these two phases of the corners.
Caroline Debatin: When you went away from the track (Spa, P1) after leaving the cockpit, still with your helmet on, it looked like you were talking about something - What did you say to yourself at that moment?
I was very angry with myself for losing precious track time, and I knew I set myself back a lot at that moment. Thankfully I managed to catch up quickly and put a good performance for the team in qualifying.
Josh: How did it feel to compete in your first Formula 1 race since 2010?
It was a great feeling. I was anxious before getting into the car, but as the laps went by I felt more and more comfortable and tried to learn as much as possible with the team.
Nicola Fairhurst: What do you do in your free time to relax?
At the moment I don’t have much free time. Whenever I’m not doing any activity for the team I try to do sports and keep my fitness up. Most of the spare time, including plane trips I end up sleeping in order to rest.
Eduardo: What was the most difficult aspect of driving in the middle of a season?
For sure I didn’t know the tyres and their behaviour. You can only get a feel for tyres after driving them, so it wasn’t easy to go into a dry race without having done any meaningful dry and high fuel running, but I was happy with my race pace and consistency!
Rodrigo: Did you have any problems with the tyres in Spa?
My tyres behaved very well in Spa, apart from the restart after the safety car period. I seem to have lost tyre pressure and temperature on the rears and that never came back, so I lost precious race time that wouldn’t have happened with a bit more experience.
Eduardo: When do you think you will be 100% comfortable with the car?
That’s hard to predict, but I hope I won’t take too long. I’m very privileged to have a great team behind me giving me all the support necessary to speed up my learning curve.
Matt Fayers: Do you think that if you continue with the team next year you can get your first win?
Winning in F1 depends on so many factors coming together! It’s a dream to win a race in F1 and I hope I get this opportunity and make the most of it. It’d be absolutely delightful to do it with LRGP as they’ve given me a real chance in F1 this year.
Part 2
As promised, Bruno has answered some more questions that you the fans have sent in. We are pleased to publish his answers below…
Dmitry: Which corners at Monza do you find most difficult?
The Ascari Chicane has always been the most difficult corner in Monza, as it is always on the limit for every car, and there’s a lot of time that can be gained there. Also, the second Lesmo is a very nice and challenging corner.
Nicola Fairhurst: How do you prepare physically for each race?
I end up doing lots of fitness training, and carry with me a little kit for fitness training and muscle electro stimulation, which I normally use for muscle recovery when the physio isn’t with me.
Vivien: Can you put into words any difference you feel when driving the Lotus Renault to the car you drove last year?
Of course it is a great feeling to be driving a car for a team that has won championships and has so much history; also the R31 is a much more developed car. It’s a car that gives me more pleasure and more confidence to drive at the limit; it’s faster, so the faster you’re going the more pleasure you feel. This time around I’m racing for points with a competitive team and I will try to develop as a driver as much as possible.
Julian Levy: What would you say has been the most special moment in your racing career so far?
Winning Monaco in GP2, that was really special. It’s a very tough race to win and it was very satisfying to win the race especially against Pastor Maldonado who races so well in Monaco and who has been so successful in Monaco, so definitely Monaco in GP2.
Claire: You always have a smile on your face and seem so pleased to be around fans, is this something that you feel is important for a F1 driver and do you personally enjoy doing it, you seem to?
Well, I recognise that the fans are what makes a sport what it is. If there weren’t the fans, if there weren’t the people that love Formula 1 there’ll be no interest in the sport and I guess not many people would understand it, so you have to appreciate the fans and I think they make the difference in the sport. I am happy to interact with the fans and try to give them back a little bit of what they give us.
Chris: What do you think you will bring to the team in this important second half of the season?
I think I’ve always been able to offer good feedback on the car; I’m confident I’ll be able to help set a strong car up for qualifying and the race. I believe I’m a fast learner, so I’m going to use all the knowledge I’ve built up in the past six months as a third driver, such as participating on the technical issues, to help make the strongest impact that I can and give the team the best possible chance to start scoring some good points again. I’ve no doubt the team will be behind me with their full support so we can make this successful.
Miran: What’s the feeling like driving through Eau Rouge whilst holding that beautiful Lotus Renault steering wheel in your hands and keeping the gas pedal on maximum?
It is extremely special for me. Spa is my favourite circuit, and to make my debut there was crazy. I was looking forward to doing it in the R31, and at the circuit I love - that was extra special.
Dennis: What do you talk about with other F1 drivers?
Well normally when we’re on the track we talk about track conditions, track environment and also sometimes about what you do in certain corners. So every time I’m with the more experienced guys especially the Brazilian guys like Massa and Rubens, I go to them and say what are you doing, are you taking this corner flat, are you taking this corner with DRS open, what are you doing and they help me a lot.
David: Did Ayrton say if you think i’m fast you should see my nephew?
There is no pressure there, is there!! No, he did say it. Of course he regarded me very highly when i used to drive the go-karts against him on the farm and we had very similar lap times even though i was only nine or eight years old so of course it was good fun because he was always trying to keep the competitive spirit very strong in me, always trying to compete with me and make me try to beat him. I hope he was not wrong.
Marie: How is the relationship between drivers and the rest of the team?
I think F1 is probably the biggest team sport in the world because to win a race you have 500 people working behind you to get your race car, to get your strategy, to get development, to get your food to get everything working, and if everything is not 100 per cent then you won’t win. People don’t realise this, they just give the credit to the drivers but the drivers are the last piece of the puzzle. They are very important at the same time because a good car won’t go anywhere without a good driver, but similarly a good driver won’t go anywhere without a good car and that’s why it’s always very, very important to be in the right place at the right time.
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Post by Anna on Sept 7, 2011 20:17:59 GMT
Q&A with Bruno Senna
“As with any sport, miles on the clock and experience instil confidence in oneself”
Wednesday 7 September 2011 - 17h15, by Olivier Ferret With his R31 apprenticeship behind him, Bruno is hoping the weekend in Spa acted as a launchpad to greater things at the revered Autodromo Nazionale Monza.
Looking back on the Belgian Grand Prix, how happy were you with your weekend on a scale of one to 10?
In fairness I’d give it a eight and a half because apart from the two mistakes I made during the weekend, everything went smoothly. It certainly was not perfect because of my mistakes, but at the same time it was very encouraging and gave me great confidence to work hard with the team and to try and develop things further; it gave me a firm base for future development.
So, you were able to forget about the mistake on the first corner and look at the bigger picture?
Yes, of course. Mistakes happen, and what happened at the first corner potentially cost me points but what was paramount that weekend was to get some laps under my belt, and I did just that. I managed to complete the race, clock up many laps and familiarise myself with the car. The weekend gave me a good all-round experience.
Did your success in qualifying set expectations too high?
Naturally, when you do well in qualifying it raises the bar of expectation. Inside and outside the team, everybody was very happy with the qualifying and there was greater expectation for scoring points in the race. Having said that, I was the first one to point out that racing is very different to qualifying, and I wasn’t getting carried away. It was a step into the unknown, and in terms of performance it went really well but I need to polish up on my race craft, which is a bit rusty.
Having a race under your belt must instil some confidence and help settle the nerves…
Of course in Spa I didn’t know what to expect in terms of the competitiveness, but it was extremely encouraging that I managed to develop my pace quickly, and work with the team well. I have a strong working relationship with the engineers, and I am eager to get into the cockpit in Monza because I feel more confident heading into this race. As with any sport, miles on the clock and experience instil confidence in oneself.
Monza is another well-respected circuit – what is your experience of it?
I’ve known Monza since 2005, so I have been there every year apart from 2009. It’s a circuit where I’ve had a mixed bag of results. When I was younger, there were a few occasions when I didn’t have the right car set-up but I now understand the circuit much better. I’m a more mature driver now, and I’m confident we can achieve another top 10 qualifying and score more points.
With the various driving experiences you’ve had this year, your relationship with the R31 must be growing closer…
Exactly, I know the car much better now. I’m more familiar with the tendencies the car has, and I understand the direction we can take it. I’m looking forward to working closely with the engineers to devise solutions on where we can strengthen our approach.
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Post by Anna on Sept 8, 2011 18:42:24 GMT
Senna confident about first points finish
8 September 2011 Following on from a generally impressive showing in Belgium, Bruno Senna is sure that he is capable of claiming a maiden Formula 1 points finish in Italy this weekend. After starting a career-best seventh on the grid at Spa, the returning Brazilian’s afternoon was compounded by a first-corner collision with the Toro Rosso of Jaime Alguersuari and consequent drive-through penalty.
“In fairness I’d give it eight and a half because, apart from the two mistakes I made during the weekend, everything went smoothly,” the Renault driver responded when asked to rate his performance on a scale of one to ten. “It certainly was not perfect because of my mistakes, but at the same time it was very encouraging and gave me great confidence to work hard with the team and to try and develop things further.”
The nephew of late triple World Champion Ayrton is now fully confident that he is able to pick up an elusive top ten finish.
“I’ve known Monza since 2005, so I have been there every year apart from 2009,” he continued. “It’s a circuit where I’ve had a mixed bag of results. When I was younger, there were a few occasions when I didn’t have the right car setup, but I now understand the circuit much better.
“I’m a more mature driver now and I’m confident we can achieve another top ten qualifying and score points.”
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Post by Anna on Sept 12, 2011 16:13:33 GMT
Senna happy to get his name on the points board
"I’m happy to score my first F1 points today"
Sunday 11 September 2011 - 18h47, by Olivier Ferret Second race, points for you today - you must be happy?
I’m happy to score my first F1 points today, especially as it was only my second race for the team. Although I started 10th, it was not been an easy job to finish ninth. We suffered some bad luck in the first corner; everybody was cutting the chicane which forced me to drive on the outside, and in the process I lost all the places I had fought so hard for in qualifying.
It must be a huge boost for you personally?
It makes me very happy to know that I am able to put myself in the position of scoring points, and also to fight with the guys who have been doing this for a long time.
You couldn’t quite get past Paul Di Resta?
The pace of the car was clear for all to see, but I wish the race was just one lap longer because I may have been able to pass Paul for eighth.
It is 18 years since we last saw the Senna name on the points board…
I am very happy to get my name on the points board. The team chose a great strategy - they did a great job and the tyre was fast enough where I needed it to be, so I am really looking forward to Singapore.
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Post by Anna on Sept 14, 2011 16:39:04 GMT
Bruno talking about how he feels working with Lotus this year
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Pete
F1 Fanatic
Petonyo
Posts: 215
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Post by Pete on Sept 14, 2011 16:45:14 GMT
He missed out the fans who only like him because he shaves his legs someone should tweet him his mistake!
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Post by victor on Sept 14, 2011 18:26:12 GMT
They see this video on the other forum and the 50 year old who has no idea about anything F1 is excited that he is as liked as Vettel . Every F1 driver has a lot of fans who love them, I have even been in a Buemi forum with fans who think he is the greatest driver in the world!
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Post by Anna on Sept 14, 2011 18:28:53 GMT
Victor don't say that *shakes head* Pete will be in here telling you how Buemi actually IS the greatest driver on earth.
But yeah, all F1 drivers are popular, she obviously hasn't seen half the hate that goes on. And to be honest there is only a handful of celebs/sports people who appreciate fan girls like them. Others just find them as creepy as we find them.
But Bruno will be liked, he's talented, related to a legend, friendly, sweet. He's got everything, its just whether or not he ever gets a full F1 season with a car capable of podiums/race wins.
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Post by Anna on Sept 17, 2011 14:12:19 GMT
Q&A with Bruno Senna
“We should be household names in Q3 every Saturday afternoon”
Friday 16 September 2011 - 20h10, by Olivier Ferret With the honeymoon period now over, Bruno returns to business and explains his enthusiasm for becoming better acquainted with the R31.
You’ve been making a lot of history lately; your first race for LRGP, your first F1 points – what’s next?
It’s hard to say. We are progressing nicely, and I’m gradually becoming more comfortable with the car and with the team. There are a number of areas I still need to progress; I need to improve my technical knowledge of the R31 and there are some areas of my driving to brush up on – I’m certainly not 100% there yet. I’m sweeping up every piece of information I can each weekend and I hope that, as a team, we can continue scoring points and secure top 10 qualifying positions in the meantime - we should be household names in Q3 every Saturday afternoon. Hopefully by the time I’m fully-acquainted with the car, I’ll be securing more points for the team.
Has the reality now sunk in that you are an LRGP race driver?
Yes, it has well and truly sunk in. I had a great time in Monza because I already had one race under my belt. I have had various outings in the R31 this year, but I haven’t had the race weekend experience that the other drivers on the grid have had ; they were fully up to speed with their cars and aware of what they could achieve by the time I arrived. Everything is, of course, a little new from my point of view. Before Monza, I’d only had one experience of qualifying, which was very tough. The race was a great learning curve; it was enjoyable and I think it was a very encouraging result considering how much trouble I was in at the first corner. The evidence is there for all to see that the car performed well and the team adopted a good strategy – two very encouraging signs indeed.
What has been the most trying aspect of your new role ?
It has been quite tricky getting used to the tyres. Everyone started this season talking about tyres, tyres and tyres but, as with most things, the more practise you can get the easier it becomes. Getting the most out of the Pirelli tyres is not easy ; it’s a big learning curve, but it’s apparent there is plenty of potential to come (from them), so I hope to piece it all together in the next few races.
The Singapore GP– this being a night race, how will your approach change?
Singapore will be a real test. It’s a fairly recent addition to the calendar in F1 terms, and it will be quite a novelty for me. It will be quite demanding to extract everything I can from the car, but I am enthusiastic about what awaits, and I hope I can reward the team with some more points.
I will approach the weekend in a similar vain to Monza by completing as many laps as possible in the practice sessions, which will hopefully help me reach Q3 in qualifying. Singapore is a trying track; there are so many corners and you have to be on the ball to avoid making mistakes; it really does bring out the best in a driver. Knowing how to set-up the car is not easy either. Physically, it’s also difficult because it is very humid and the track requires you to be precise corner after corner. Driving at night, you notice the combination of light and shadow which takes some getting used to. As with the Malaysian GP, Singapore requires you to arrive at the track a little earlier to help acclimatise. Having said that, the team will also remain on their British Summer Time body clocks because of the weekend’s timetable! I’m looking forward to a fun and different type of race weekend.
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