Bruno Senna facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Senna and the second or paternal family name is Lalli.

Quick facts for kids Bruno Senna
Senna in 2018
Born	Bruno Senna Lalli (1983-10-15) 15 October 1983 (age 41) São Paulo, Brazil
Spouse(s)	Ludovica Colombotto Rosso (m. 2023)
Parent(s)	Viviane Senna (mother)
Relatives	Ayrton Senna (uncle)

Formula One World Championship career
Nationality	Brazilian
Active years	2010–2012
Teams	HRT, Renault, Williams
Entries	46 (46 starts)
Championships	0
Wins	0
Podiums	0
Career points	33
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	1
First entry	2010 Bahrain Grand Prix
Last entry	2012 Brazilian Grand Prix


FIA World Endurance Championship career
Racing licence	FIA Platinum
Years active	2013–2014, 2016–2020
Teams	Aston Martin, Morand, Rebellion
Starts	42
Championships	1 (2017)
Wins	11
Podiums	27
Poles	11
Fastest laps	5
Best finish	1st in 2017 (LMP2)


Formula E career
Years active	2014–2016
Teams	Mahindra
Car no.	21
Starts	21
Championships	0
Wins	0
Podiums	1
Poles	0
Fastest laps	1


24 Hours of Le Mans career
Years	2009, 2013–2014, 2016–2020
Teams	Oreca, Aston Martin, Morand, Rebellion
Best finish	2nd (2020)
Class wins	0


Previous series
2018–2019 2017–2018 2009 2008 2007–2008 2006 2005–2006 2004	ELMS IMSA SportsCar Le Mans Series GP2 Asia Series GP2 Series Porsche Supercup British F3 Formula BMW UK
Awards
2012	Lorenzo Bandini Trophy

Bruno Senna Lalli (born October 15, 1983) is a Brazilian former racing driver. He competed in Formula One from 2010 to 2012. Later, he won the 2017 FIA World Endurance Championship in the LMP2 class with Rebellion.

Bruno was born and grew up in São Paulo, Brazil. He is the nephew of the famous three-time Formula One World Champion Ayrton Senna. Bruno raced in Formula One for three years. He started with HRT in 2010. Then he joined Renault in 2011. In 2012, he drove for the Williams team. From 2014 to 2016, he also raced in Formula E for Mahindra.

About Bruno Senna

His Early Life and Family

Bruno Senna Lalli was born on October 15, 1983, in São Paulo, Brazil. He is the second of three children. His mother is Viviane Senna Lalli. His famous uncle was Ayrton Senna, a legendary Formula One driver.

Bruno started karting at age five on his family's farm. His grandfather Milton and uncle Ayrton taught him. Ayrton believed Bruno had great potential. He once said in 1993, "If you think I'm fast, just wait until you see my nephew."

Starting His Racing Journey

Sadly, Ayrton passed away in a racing accident in 1994. This paused Bruno's own racing career. Even after his father's death in 1996, Bruno's mother supported his dream of becoming a race car driver.

In 2004, Bruno drove his uncle's 1986 Lotus 98T car. This was at the 2004 Brazilian Grand Prix in São Paulo. It was a special moment, marking 10 years since his uncle's passing.

Bruno Senna's Racing Career

Early Steps in Racing

In 2004, Bruno raced in six Formula BMW UK series races. He scored six points.

Formula 3 Racing (2005–2006)

Bruno Senna's 2004 Formula BMW UK car at Rockingham Motor Speedway.

In 2005, Bruno moved to the British Formula Three Championship. He drove for the Räikkönen Robertson Racing team. He earned three podium finishes, meaning he finished in the top three.

In 2006, he continued with the same team. He finished third overall in the series. He won five races that year. He won the first two races at Oulton Park in wet conditions. He also won at Donington Park and Mugello.

Bruno had a big crash at Snetterton in 2006. His car went off the track at high speed. Luckily, he was able to walk away without serious injuries.

He also raced in Formula Three support races at the 2006 Australian Grand Prix. He won three out of four races. He set a lap record there that still stands today for non-F1 cars.

GP2 Series (2007–2008)

Bruno Senna driving for iSport International at the Silverstone Circuit in 2008.

In 2007, Bruno joined the Arden International team for the 2007 GP2 Series. He finished fourth in his first race. Soon after, he got his first win in Spain.

In 2008, Bruno switched to the iSport International team. During a race in Istanbul, his car hit a stray dog. The car was damaged, and Bruno had to stop racing. He was not hurt.

Bruno won the GP2 Feature race in Monaco. This was the first time the Senna name was at the top in Monaco in 15 years. He finished second overall in the championship that year.

Moving to Le Mans Racing (2009)

Bruno Senna driving for Oreca at the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans.

After hoping for a Formula One spot in 2009, Bruno looked for other racing opportunities. He joined the Oreca team to race in the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Le Mans Series. He finished third in his first race with the team.

Formula One Career

Bruno Senna demonstrating a Ferrari Formula One car in 2008.

Bruno first drove a modern Formula One car in November 2008. He tested for Honda in Barcelona. He performed well, but Honda later left Formula One.

HRT Team (2010)

Bruno Senna driving for Hispania Racing at his first Formula One race in Bahrain, 2010.

In October 2009, Bruno announced he would race in Formula One in 2010. He joined the Campos Meta team, which later became Hispania Racing. His teammate was Karun Chandhok.

Bruno raced in 18 races for HRT in 2010. He was briefly replaced for one race but returned. On January 7, 2011, HRT announced he would not race for them in 2011.

Renault Team (2011)

Bruno Senna scored his first Formula One points for Renault at the 2011 Italian Grand Prix.

In January 2011, Bruno became a test and reserve driver for the Renault team. He got a chance to race later that year.

In August, he replaced Nick Heidfeld for the rest of the 2011 season. He qualified seventh in his first race with Renault in Belgium. He finished ninth at the 2011 Italian Grand Prix, earning his first Formula One points. He finished the season in 18th place with 2 points.

Williams Team (2012)

Bruno Senna driving for Williams at the 2012 Malaysian Grand Prix.

On January 17, 2012, Bruno was confirmed as a Williams driver. His uncle Ayrton had also raced for Williams. Bruno asked his family for their blessing before joining the team.

He scored his first points for Williams at the 2012 Malaysian Grand Prix. He finished sixth, earning eight points. This was more points than Williams had earned in all of 2011. He also finished seventh in China.

Bruno Senna at the 2012 United States Grand Prix.

At the 2012 Belgian Grand Prix, Bruno achieved the fastest lap of his career. He finished the season in 16th place with 31 points. Williams replaced him for 2013.

FIA World Endurance Championship and Le Mans

Aston Martin (2013–2014)

In 2013, Bruno joined Aston Martin Racing for the FIA World Endurance Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He and his teammates won races at Silverstone and Circuit of the Americas.

The #99 Aston Martin Vantage GT2 car at the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans.

At Le Mans, their car started from pole position. However, they had to stop racing after a serious crash. Luckily, no one was badly hurt.

Rebellion Racing (2017–2020)

The #1 Rebellion R13 car with Bruno Senna, Andre Lotterer, and Neel Jani at the 2018 6 Hours of Shanghai.

In 2017, Bruno joined Vaillante Rebellion Racing. He and his teammate Julien Canal won the 2017 FIA World Endurance Championship in the LMP2 class. In the final race, Bruno had to drive with a broken power steering. He still managed to win the race and the championship!

Formula E (2014–2016)

Bruno Senna competing for Mahindra Racing at the 2015 Berlin ePrix.

From 2014 to 2016, Bruno raced in Formula E for Mahindra Racing. Formula E is a racing series for electric cars. He earned one podium finish during his time there.

Airspeeder (2022–)

In 2022, Bruno joined Airspeeder. This is a new racing series for electric flying cars (eVTOLs). He helps develop the sport and its safety technology.

Television Work

Bruno has also worked as a TV expert for Formula One races. He appeared on Sky Sports F1 and Channel 4. He shared his racing knowledge and helped explain the sport to viewers.

Awards

On July 15, 2012, Bruno received the Lorenzo Bandini Trophy in Italy. This award honors talented young racing drivers.

Helmet Design

Bruno Senna's helmet design is a special tribute to his uncle, Ayrton Senna. It is yellow with green and blue S-shaped stripes. The green stripe has a blue-and-white outline, and the blue stripe has a green-and-white outline. There is also a green stripe under the chin and a blue shape on top.

Personal Life

Bruno Senna is married to Ludovica Colombotto Rosso. They got married in 2023.

Images for kids

Bruno Senna driving a Dallara F304 in a support race at the 2006 Australian Grand Prix.
Bruno Senna wore a plain yellow helmet at the 2010 Belgian Grand Prix. This was to advertise a competition for fans to design his helmet for his home race.