Bruno Senna: “This car is a summary of Ayrton! »

Hello Bruno. What's it like to drive a car with your last name on it? 

It's something quite incredible and moving, because Ayrton had this dream of producing a car in his image, based on his knowledge and ideas. He had participated a little in the development of the Honda NSX when he was at McLaren (1988-1993 inclusive. Ed.), but having a “Senna” was something he carried within him. Unfortunately, he didn't have time to make this dream come true and it's something we always wanted to do in his name, for him, but we needed the right partner. Luckily, my relationship with McLaren allowed me to initiate this project. When they showed me the car they were working on when it was still just a model, when they explained to me that it had the ambition to be the most extreme road car, I knew that this was the project we were waiting for and I remember telling them: “ Why not call it Senna? » That's how it all began, and it's a magnificent success. Powerful, light, designed solely for the pleasure of driving, it reflects the “purist” that Ayrton was. No hybrid system, no crazy assistance, it's a racing car for the road.

Did you participate in its development?

Not as much as I would have liked, because I was busy with my running activities, but yes. I collaborated with Kenny Bräck (winner of the 500 Indianapolis 1999. Editor's note), chief development driver of McLaren Automotive Ltd, who did an absolutely fantastic job. The car is incredibly fast on track, and has a lot to offer. 

Do you think of your uncle every time you slip behind the wheel?

Obviously, because of everything we just talked about! This car is a summary of Ayrton. Av