Bruno Senna

Lore & Background

Born and raised in São Paulo, Senna is a nephew of three-time World Drivers' Champion Ayrton Senna. He made his debut in Formula One for HRT in 2010, raced for Renault from August 2011 as a replacement for Nick Heidfeld, and drove for the Williams team in 2012. Between 2014 and 2016, he drove for Mahindra in Formula E.

In Their Own Story

The rain hammered the tarmac at Spa-Francorchamps as Bruno Senna gripped the steering wheel, water droplets reflecting the glow of trackside lights. The Renault R31 responded to his inputs with familiar precision, a machine honed by countless hours in the simulator and on public roads. He pushed through the Eau Rouge corner, tires biting into the wet asphalt, feeling the car's balance shift subtly under braking. In that moment, the weight of expectation lifted; there was only the rhythm of the engine and the thrill of speed.

Reader's Guide

Senna started karting on the family farm at age five, taught by his grandfather Milton and uncle Ayrton. His uncle Ayrton said in 1993, 'If you think I'm fast, just wait until you see my nephew.' After Ayrton's death in 1994, Bruno's racing career halted temporarily. He returned to racing in 2004, competing in Formula BMW UK. He moved to British Formula Three in 2005–2006, finishing third in 2006. He raced in GP2 Series from 2007 to 2008, winning the 2008 GP2 Feature race at Monte Carlo and finishing runner-up in the championship. In 2009, he raced in the Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Oreca.

Did You Know?

• Senna's first Formula One test was for Honda in Barcelona in November 2008.
• He won the 2008 GP2 Feature race at Monte Carlo, the first time the Senna name topped the leaderboard at the principality in 15 years.
• Senna scored his first GP2 win in the feature race in Spain in 2007.
• He drove his uncle Ayrton's 1986 Lotus 98T at the 2004 Brazilian Grand Prix meeting.