I recently had the opportunity to speak with Bruno Senna, Grand Prix, Formula 1 and FIA World Endurance driver, who won an FIA World Championship in 2017. Bruno retired from racing and is now racing with McLaren Automotive to improve driving characteristics. of the company’s supercars. He took the time to speak with Forbes about his work with McLaren and why he is a fan of the company.
Forbes: You have a special relationship with McLaren. Can you describe the relationship and how it has evolved over the years?
Senna: I’ve been racing with McLaren for 10 years, so it’s a history together. Of course, there is a circle of relatives in McLaren history that I think everyone knows if they know motorsport. We started with a bit of GT3 racing and also some ambassador work that I was involved in on a few occasions with McLaren. And then that also evolved into the development of the automobile. I haven’t done as much as I would have liked because of racing, but at the end of the day, being a part of this family for so long and doing everything we have with the logo is an achievement.
Forbes: And you said you worked in development. What are some of the McLarens you helped develop?
Senna: The first car I came into contact with was the P1 GTR. It was just the end of the progression, but we did numerous laps to finish the set-up. The next car was a 675LT. It was fun. Then we did a little bit of the 720S, a little bit in the middle of the progression of the car, and it was fine. And then there was the Senna, and again, not as much as I would like, the race was getting in the way, but I spent 2 or 3 days in the Senna and got familiar with the car. It was a very different attitude than any other car I’ve tried before. And then the Senna GTR. And since then I haven’t been able to make any progress with the cars, but we are looking for the next two cars to test them and get a little more involved.
Forbes: These are the obstacles that Bruno Senna has to overcome. I have to split my time between helping to develop the new McLarens and racing at the highest levels of racing. These are the difficulties you face, right?
Senna: Not anymore. I stopped running a few years ago, so I have more free time. I think with Covid, all the extensions and all the schedules have been a little out of control. So from now on it’s a little less difficult and we have some beasts in the paints, so I can paint with them. You know it’s very exciting to expand something or help with anything. You trap other people like you or a visitor into the car, and they love it. And I think it’s very rewarding. It’s much more rewarding than I expected.
Despite its otherworldly styling, the Elva remains easy to drive and comfortable.
Forbes: Tell us what McLaren’s philosophy is when it comes to designing and executing cars.
Senna: You know, from a technical point of view, we all know that McLaren is first and foremost a light, high-performance and strong car. But I think the most important thing from the customer’s point of view is that it all depends on the driver’s response. You know we have hydraulic force guidance, and that is very vital. Some other people just feel it through the seat, but I feel it a lot through the steering wheel. And those cars give me wonderful confidence to attack and feel the edge of the tire. Additionally, both vehicles have a slightly different character. Some automobile corporations make cars that are all the same, and that works because other people know that they are going to buy the cars and they will say, “I know what that car is going to be like. ” But with McLaren, both cars are a little bit different, and each one has a different character, and that attracts other people. And you know, from the Senna, which is like a track monster, really stable, to the 765, which is really raw, really aggressive, and the Elva, which is also like that but like a kart. And the 720S/750S, which is going in this direction, even more planted, safer. Also Artura, which looks more like the 750S. In reality, there are masses of other minds and wonderful cars to drive.
The McLaren 675LT is Bruno Senna’s model
Forbes: Which McLaren do you think catches your attention the most?And there are other cases that you think are greater for other models, but of all the McLarens, which one do you think represents your vibe the most?
Senna: I think my favorite car according to my driving tastes is the 675LT. It was the first LT, it’s like a kart. It moves a little bit with the brakes, but you play with it and it feels like it’s dancing with you. And once you’re in that lane with the car, you get a lot of rewards. You can push hard and even when it bends you have great control and I love that because it gives you an extra touch of confidence and it feels super nice.
The Ferrari F430 Scuderia, one of the first fashionable supercars that met Bruno Senna’s expectations
Forbes: What are some non-McLaren vehicles, beyond or present, that were wonderful sports cars and that hold a place in automotive history?
Senna: I think it’s hard to point out just a few because there are so many cars and so many things that they do well and others that are quite bad. But I was a fan of Porsche, Ferrari and Lambo, and then they put me in a racing car and suddenly all those street cars seemed to perform pretty poorly compared to a single-seat racing car. Say it was around 2015 when the supercar generation took a leap, and those cars have become so complex that they are now actually fun to drive, even on a race track. Of course, they don’t have the same feel as a racing car, but they get there. The first supercar I really liked was the Ferrari 430 Scuderia. I drove the track edition and it was like a very balanced car, really nice. Now existing Porsches look smart. They probably lack a little sense of direction, but they are quite well planted and quite safe to drive. They give you intelligent feedback. They are not like before, not long ago. What bothers me about cars is that they are heavy. They are getting heavier. The only logo that puts functionality before everything else is McLaren, and I think that’s the spirit of McLaren.
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