kids encyclopedia robot

Bruno Senna facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Bruno Senna
Senna by United Autosports team 04.jpg
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 Brazil Brazilian
Active years 20102012
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 Driver.png 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 Formula BMW UK Car Rockingham 2004 (1)
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 2008 GP2 Silverstone
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)

Oreca and Peugeot 908
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 2008 Goodwood
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 2010 Bahrain
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)

B Senna Monza 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 2012 Malaysia FP2
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, United States Grand Prix, Austin 2012
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.

Le Mans 2013 (156 of 631) (9344232457) (cropped)
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)

2018 6 Hours of Shanghai 1 (45379799144) (cropped)
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, Mahindra, Berlin ePrix
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

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Bruno Senna para niños

kids search engine
Bruno Senna Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.