Monday November 2, 2009
Senna carry a huge burden of expectation
BRUNO Senna will carry a huge burden of expectation when the Brazilian follows in the Formula One tracks of his late uncle Ayrton next year, according to Frank Williams.
“I hope he is (quick), because there is unfortunately an unimagineably great expectation on his shoulders,” said Williams, who signed triple champion Ayrton Senna from McLaren for the fateful 1994 season.
“I just wish him well ... it’s important for the family that he does extremely well.”
Ayrton Senna, hailed and mourned as one of the greatest talents the sport has ever seen, died at the age of 34 when he crashed his Williams into a concrete barrier at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix at Imola.
His death, a national tragedy in Brazil, remains the sport’s last race fatality.
Since then, every Williams car has carried a Senna Foundation logo in memory of the fallen great.
The new Spanish-based Campos Meta team announced on Saturday that Bruno, 26, had signed a contract to be one of their two drivers next season.
The Brazilian tested with Honda late last year and had come close to signing for that team before the Japanese manufacturer decided to pull out of Formula One.
Ross Brawn, who was Honda team principal before they were transformed into this year’s champions Brawn GP, also hoped the youngster would do well.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for him and look forward to seeing how well he does,” said the Briton, who was seven times champion Michael Schumacher’s technical director at Benetton in 1994 when Senna died.
“I think its important he does well because obviously the name is great but it would be a shame if he doesn’t do well because of course it carries the name as well,” he told reporters at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Brawn said Bruno, runner up in the 2008 GP2 series, had made a strong impression on him last season.
“I was always very impressed with Bruno, I thought he did a good job for us,” he said. — Reuters
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