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Bruno Senna Joins McLaren GT Factory Team

When you hear somebody say Senna, your mind automatically correlates that name to the one and only Ayrton Senna da Silva. You know the man, that guy that made Formula One a whole lot more entertaining for two main reasons: exceptional driving skills and the rivalry between him and four-time Formula One world champ Alain Prost.
Bruno Senna driving for McLaren GT 5 photos
Photo: McLaren
Bruno Senna joins McLaren GT Factory TeamBruno Senna joins McLaren GT Factory TeamBruno Senna joins McLaren GT Factory TeamBruno Senna joins McLaren GT Factory Team
But when it comes to his nephew Bruno, it’s fairly obvious that even though they’re related by blood, the younger Senna isn’t anything like his late uncle (Bruno’s mother Viviane is Ayrton’s sister). Viviane said back in 1993 “If you think I'm fast, just wait until you see my nephew Bruno,” but the results are not in yet.

During his stint in GP2, Bruno’s best finish was a 2nd place. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans of 2009, 2013 and 2014, Bruno’s best finish was a mere 5th in class. Then comes Bruno’s short-lived F1 stint for the HRT, Renault and Williams teams from 2010 to 2012. He may have started 46 times during that timeframe, but the 31-year-old Brazilian racing driver only managed to score 33 career points and do a single a fastest lap.

Don’t get me wrong here - I’m not saying that Ayrton’s successor in the motorsport world isn’t talented, but I really hate how some people and journalists herald him as the second incarnation of his late uncle. That’s just uncanny anyway you look at it. Still, the ex-Formula One driver has been recruited by McLaren GT for a heck of lot of FIA-grade racing events. Oh wait, so you're telling me you've never heard of McLaren GT?

I'm much obliged to tell you that it’s the Woking-based outfit’s GT racecar manufacturing arm, established in 2011 to develop and support all McLaren track and GT race activities. Senna joins the team alongside Rob Bell, Kevin Estre and Alvaro Parente. It is a great honour for me to be joining McLaren; a team my uncle enjoyed such huge success with, and one of the most famous names in motorsport.” commented Bruno Senna.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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