Bruno Senna test

[superkartracer]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/72189

Senna covered 107 laps yesterday and posted the ninth quickest time of the day, just three tenths slower than Button himself.

So what does this say, the cars are easy too drive? or button is crap or Bruno is that good?

Interesting

SK-R

[FourWheelDrift]

How can you say that the faster driver is crap and the slower driver is good?

You also don't know if Senna was using a car with any 2009 aero modifications or even 2009 slick tyres. That photo of him on the Autosport webpage shows him using the 2008 higher downforce front/rear wing setup. I know Button/Wurz were testing with the new 2009 Aero (see below)

[mattikake]

Well in his first test Senna was some 5secs slower than Wurz and about 1.3secs faster than Di Grassi, IIRC. I think they were both trying a different spec cars to Wurz though. Whatever, in his second session he's within 3 tenths of Button already. The good drivers, already used to high downforce, pick up the pace quick and it looks like he's done that to me.

Rubens should be worried I reckon...

Edited by mattikake on Friday 21st November 16:13

[matt frost]

You can't tell too much at the moment - every car and driver is running all different sorts of setups. I wouldn't read too much into it.

Its not that the cars are easy to drive, its just the 'new' guys are still majorly talented racers who have just done a year or more in the division below. It can't be too hard adjusting from GP2 to F1.

[stephen300o]

Small interview with Bruno here, http://www.formula1.com/news/interviews/2008/11/87...

[mattikake]

matt frost said:

You can't tell too much at the moment - every car and driver is running all different sorts of setups. I wouldn't read too much into it.

Its not that the cars are easy to drive, its just the 'new' guys are still majorly talented racers who have just done a year or more in the division below. It can't be too hard adjusting from GP2 to F1.

I would read (do read) loads into it actually. There's many drivers/racers who seem promising, but struggle to get to grips with F1's high downforce. It's a critical mindset to go faster round a corner = more grip, not less with an ever sharpening knife edge for the limit.

If a new boy is any good they'll get to grips with this quick and get on the pace quick. E.g. look how much Rossi has struggled with this and continues to struggle with it, and many other disappointments to F1.

[matt frost]

mattikake said:

matt frost said:

You can't tell too much at the moment - every car and driver is running all different sorts of setups. I wouldn't read too much into it.

Its not that the cars are easy to drive, its just the 'new' guys are still majorly talented racers who have just done a year or more in the division below. It can't be too hard adjusting from GP2 to F1.

I would read (do read) loads into it actually. There's many drivers/racers who seem promising, but struggle to get to grips with F1's high downforce. It's a critical mindset to go faster round a corner = more grip, not less with an ever sharpening knife edge for the limit.

If a new boy is any good they'll get to grips with this quick and get on the pace quick. E.g. look how much Rossi has struggled with this and continues to struggle with it, and many other disappointments to F1.

What I mean is - he set the ninth fastest time of the day. But the best drivers weren't there anyway and all the cars and drivers are running different setups and experiments. Him coming ninth tells you absolutely nothing.

Its better to compare to whoever else was testing for Honda. Whoever it was (Di Grasi or something) Senna did set a faster time than.

Not putting Senna down, my point was just because he set the 9th fastest time of the day, it means nothing.

Edited by matt frost on Monday 24th November 10:55

[TonyHetherington]

mattikake said:

matt frost said:

You can't tell too much at the moment - every car and driver is running all different sorts of setups. I wouldn't read too much into it.

Its not that the cars are easy to drive, its just the 'new' guys are still majorly talented racers who have just done a year or more in the division below. It can't be too hard adjusting from GP2 to F1.

I would read (do read) loads into it actually. There's many drivers/racers who seem promising, but struggle to get to grips with F1's high downforce. It's a critical mindset to go faster round a corner = more grip, not less with an ever sharpening knife edge for the limit.

If a new boy is any good they'll get to grips with this quick and get on the pace quick. E.g. look how much Rossi has struggled with this and continues to struggle with it, and many other disappointments to F1.

You're talking like you and I are sittign in an F1 car and driving it around a circuit. These guys have all come from single seater/ground effects cars - novices they are not.

[profstoff]

Bruno Senna said:

I'm happy. As I said, there was not a lot of pressure on me being matching Jenson or being super close to Jenson. They wanted to see what kind of information I could provide and if I was consistent and if I was quick on my own.

As a previous poster said and confirmed by the man himself, how close he was to Jenson was irrelevant. The team wanted other things from him.

I think the last comment is quite telling "if I was quick on my own"

[mattikake]

TonyHetherington said:

mattikake said:

matt frost said:

You can't tell too much at the moment - every car and driver is running all different sorts of setups. I wouldn't read too much into it.

Its not that the cars are easy to drive, its just the 'new' guys are still majorly talented racers who have just done a year or more in the division below. It can't be too hard adjusting from GP2 to F1.

I would read (do read) loads into it actually. There's many drivers/racers who seem promising, but struggle to get to grips with F1's high downforce. It's a critical mindset to go faster round a corner = more grip, not less with an ever sharpening knife edge for the limit.

If a new boy is any good they'll get to grips with this quick and get on the pace quick. E.g. look how much Rossi has struggled with this and continues to struggle with it, and many other disappointments to F1.

You're talking like you and I are sittign in an F1 car and driving it around a circuit. These guys have all come from single seater/ground effects cars - novices they are not.

Sorry? Are you saying it's not possible for a fan to be extremely clued-up about their sport?

F1 is on a whole other level to any other 'lesser' forumla. There have been many who looked promising in lesser formula but failed to impress in F1, certainly because they couldn't handle the step up due to it's g-forces, downforce, braking, endurance, strength etc.

Many of those coming from F1's near/nearest equal (of old) Indycars have struggled with the step up. Zanardi and Micheal Andretti immediately spring to mind... and the easiest way of spotting this is how quickly their pace plateaus.

[absolutely]

Bruno Senna has only got to where he is now because of his name, he will never be as successful as his uncle. He is good but not championship winning material. He is like Piquet Jr.

[mattikake]

^ yeah very possibly, but I hope not! Only a few more tests will tell.

[m444ttb]

Considering how long the guy has actually been racing he's doing pretty well though.

[Edward9000]

m444ttb said:

Considering how long the guy has actually been racing he's doing pretty well though.

Theres probably a lot of people in the world who would do just as good if they had been handed the same opportunities.

[mattikake]

Edward9000 said:

m444ttb said:

Considering how long the guy has actually been racing he's doing pretty well though.

Theres probably a lot of people in the world who would do just as good if they had been handed the same opportunities.

Maybe. If we'd all been put in a kart from the age of 5 we'd all have programmed that neural network in our heads well enough to be pro racing drviers too. But we weren't, so we're not.

[Edward9000]

mattikake said:

Edward9000 said:

m444ttb said:

Considering how long the guy has actually been racing he's doing pretty well though.

Theres probably a lot of people in the world who would do just as good if they had been handed the same opportunities.

Maybe. If we'd all been put in a kart from the age of 5 we'd all have programmed that neural network in our heads well enough to be pro racing drviers too. But we weren't, so we're not.

Not quite what I was getting at. Wasnt it a top driver that once said "the best racing driver in the world is some farmer from finland" or something along those lines?

[matt frost]

mattikake said:

Edward9000 said:

m444ttb said:

Considering how long the guy has actually been racing he's doing pretty well though.

Theres probably a lot of people in the world who would do just as good if they had been handed the same opportunities.

Maybe. If we'd all been put in a kart from the age of 5 we'd all have programmed that neural network in our heads well enough to be pro racing drviers too. But we weren't, so we're not.

Senna wasn't either really.

He had only done a bit of competitive karting and then stopped when his uncle died. Then back in 2004 he took up competitive racing again. He has advanced very fast, but had it not been for his name he wouldn't have progressed so fast. He hasn't yet won a championship, but every year he has advanced up the ranks because of his huge marketing potential and because people believe he has more to show because of who his uncle was.

Not saying he is a bad driver, he obviously is very good. But you need a bit of luck to make it in motor racing, especially to F1. I don't believe that someone else (without the surname Senna) would have made it to F1 in the same way Senna has if they drove exactly the same and got exactly the same results. It would take longer.

If he gets a drive in f1 after doing his test then you can't say a bad word against his talent, its just would he have even made an F1 test based on his past results if he wasn't a Senna?

Edited by matt frost on Tuesday 25th November 10:06

[superkartracer]

What about the Helmet clash!! ha ha that will be fun.

[Stuismyname]

I don't envy his task. Everyone wants to see Ayrton somehow reincarnated in Bruno. Everyone wants to see him jump in the car and do something unbelievable, and anything less will be a disappointment. How on Earth can he live up to that!

[mattikake]

matt frost said:

mattikake said:

Edward9000 said:

m444ttb said:

Considering how long the guy has actually been racing he's doing pretty well though.

Theres probably a lot of people in the world who would do just as good if they had been handed the same opportunities.

Maybe. If we'd all been put in a kart from the age of 5 we'd all have programmed that neural network in our heads well enough to be pro racing drviers too. But we weren't, so we're not.

Senna wasn't either really.

He had only done a bit of competitive karting and then stopped when his uncle died. Then back in 2004 he took up competitive racing again. He has advanced very fast, but had it not been for his name he wouldn't have progressed so fast. He hasn't yet won a championship, but every year he has advanced up the ranks because of his huge marketing potential and because people believe he has more to show because of who his uncle was.

Not saying he is a bad driver, he obviously is very good. But you need a bit of luck to make it in motor racing, especially to F1. I don't believe that someone else (without the surname Senna) would have made it to F1 in the same way Senna has if they drove exactly the same and got exactly the same results. It would take longer.

If he gets a drive in f1 after doing his test then you can't say a bad word against his talent, its just would he have even made an F1 test based on his past results if he wasn't a Senna?

Edited by matt frost on Tuesday 25th November 10:06

Bruno was racing Aryton on kart tracks (and beating him which probably has as much to do with his rise as his name) from a very early age, dunno what age exactly but it must've been around about 5-8yo. In terms of crucial brain programming in early human years, Bruno has had the ideal start.