Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Williams aims to restore former glory with new FW34]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/02/12/williams-aims-to-restore-former-glory-with-new-fw34/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/02/12/williams-aims-to-restore-former-glory-with-new-fw34/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/02/12/williams-aims-to-restore-former-glory-with-new-fw34/#commentsFiled under: ,

2012 Williams FW34 F1 racer

If there's ever been an example of a hero fallen from grace, surely it's Williams. Once dominant in Formula 1, it's been relegated to "also ran" status, but the privateer entry is intent on clawing its way back up to the top.

Williams has infused its management, technical staff and its driver roster with fresh blood. It signed a new engine deal with Renault, whose powerplants drove Williams to successive World Championship titles decades ago, and helped Red Bull rule F1 the past two years.

The team unveiled its new challenger at Jerez, where the season got underway with the first test session of the new year. The new FW34 - so named as the 34th grand prix car produced by Frank Williams - wears the lamentable stepped nose, tighter side pods, and tighter rear quarters that are characteristic of all the 2012 F1 cars unveiled so far.

KERS and DRS systems are intended to help the FW34 keep up with the competition, but only time will tell whether drivers Bruno Senna and Pastor Maldonado will be able to make the most of it and drive Williams back to its former glory.

Williams aims to restore former glory with new FW34 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 12 Feb 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bruno sennaf1formula 1formula onefw34jerezmaldonadopastor maldonadosennawilliamswilliams f1williams fw34williams-renaultSun, 12 Feb 2012 18:00:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20166585/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/02/12/williams-aims-to-restore-former-glory-with-new-fw34/20166585/article-detail.xml 20166585 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/02/webfw34_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/02/webfw34.jpg <![CDATA[Bruno Senna signs with Williams F1]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/17/bruno-senna-signs-with-williams-f1/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/17/bruno-senna-signs-with-williams-f1/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/17/bruno-senna-signs-with-williams-f1/#commentsFiled under: ,

Bruno Senna

Formula One is no stranger to motion. But as fast as these drivers in their cars move during the regular season, it's in the off-season when things really get shaken up. Drivers change teams. Teams change names. Personnel come and go. Contracts are signed and terminated. But while most of the top drivers are staying put for the coming season, there have been a number of question marks left on the 2012 roster.

One of the last, however, has now been answered as the Williams team announces the signing of one Bruno Senna. If the name rings a bell, it well should: His late, great uncle Ayrton once famously hinted at his nephew's latent talents. However after a promising start in Formula 3 and GP2, Bruno hasn't quite been able to shine. He started out in 2010 for the backmarker Hispania Racing Team, but after failing to secure a ride for the start of the following season, was brought in by Lotus-Renault to fill in for Nick Heidfeld, who in turn was filling in for Robert Kubica.

Bruno only managed a couple of championship points last season at Lotus, which opted to pass him over in favor of Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean. Williams, however, apparently feels that Senna's got more talent than he's been able to demonstrate, so they've signed him for a one-year contract to drive for the team this coming season.

In moving in at Williams - the team at which Ayrton Senna famously died in 1994 - Bruno replaces fellow Brazilian driver Rubens Barrichello, one of the last drivers still on the grid who raced with Ayrton back in the day. Where that leaves Rubens remains to be seen, but with only a solitary seat left at HRT for next season, the elder statesman of the paddock could be looking at forced retirement.

Continue reading Bruno Senna signs with Williams F1

Bruno Senna signs with Williams F1 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bruno sennaf1formula 1formula onesennawilliamsTue, 17 Jan 2012 17:58:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20150382/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/01/17/bruno-senna-signs-with-williams-f1/20150382/article-detail.xml 20150382 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/01/bruno-williams_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/01/bruno-williams.jpg <![CDATA[Senna in, Grosjean up, Heidfeld out at Lotus Renault GP]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/09/07/senna-in-grosjean-up-heidfeld-out-at-lotus-renault-gp/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/09/07/senna-in-grosjean-up-heidfeld-out-at-lotus-renault-gp/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/09/07/senna-in-grosjean-up-heidfeld-out-at-lotus-renault-gp/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Bruno Senna and Romain Grosjean

The sidelining of Robert Kubica left big shoes to fill at the Lotus Renault GP team. After the Polish driver crashed out in a pre-season rally, the team was left scrambling to find a replacement. But rather than dip into its own considerable reserve of back-up drivers, the higher-ups opted to bring in Nick Heidfeld to fill Kubica's seat.

The eleven-season F1 veteran performed admirably in a pinch for Renault, most notably scoring a podium finish in Malaysia. But that didn't keep the team from replacing him for last week's Belgian Grand Prix, promoting their test driver and former HRT pilot Bruno Senna to his place.

The move lead to much speculation over what would unfold for the rest of the season, but Renault has now put that to rest by announcing that Senna will be driving the remaining seven rounds left in the season and that Heidfeld - who had (quite understandably) expressed some measure of dissatisfaction with having been shown the door - is departing the team.

It's a big leg-up for Senna and a ballsy move for Renault, but undoubtedly disappointing for Heidfeld. For his part, the German driver (who's spent the bulk of his career at Sauber) pledges to be back next season. Meanwhile Senna's previous role as test driver will be taken up once again by Romain Grosjean, the Franco-Swiss driver who took Nelsinho Piquet's place at the team in the wake of the Crashgate scandal in 2009 and who just claimed the title in the GP2 series.

Senna in, Grosjean up, Heidfeld out at Lotus Renault GP originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 07 Sep 2011 07:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bruno sennaf1formula 1formula onelotus renault gpnick heidfeldrenaultromain grosjeansennaWed, 07 Sep 2011 07:58:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20035180/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2011/09/07/senna-in-grosjean-up-heidfeld-out-at-lotus-renault-gp/20035180/article-detail.xml 20035180 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/09/senna-grosjean_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/09/senna-grosjean.jpg <![CDATA[Bruno Senna to take Heidfeld's place at Renault for Spa]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/08/25/bruno-senna-to-take-heidfelds-place-at-renault-for-spa/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/08/25/bruno-senna-to-take-heidfelds-place-at-renault-for-spa/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/08/25/bruno-senna-to-take-heidfelds-place-at-renault-for-spa/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Bruno Senna

Most drivers who fail in F1 fail downwards - that is, they drop down to another form of motorsport and change focus. But if your name is Senna, you fail up.

Having tested for Honda before it closed up shop and quit F1, Bruno Senna took the only chance he had to get onto the grid when he debuted with the Hispania Racing Team. That didn't work out so well - mostly, truth be told, because the team wasn't up to speed - but after retiring from as many races as he finished and failing to score a single championship point, he was released by HRT.

The nephew of the late, great Ayrton Senna was then picked up as a test driver for the Renault team, which has now announced that it will be giving Bruno a chance to race again this weekend. He'll be taking the place of Nick Heidfeld, who himself was brought in to fill in for an injured Robert Kubica.

That Heidfeld was actually doing better than his teammate Vitaly Petrov in the standings so far this season didn't seem to deter the Renault strategists in their desire to shake up its driver lineup over the summer break. Whether Senna is kept on or replaced in turn will likely depend on his performance, so we'll be watching this weekend and waiting until the team makes a more detailed announcement.

Bruno Senna to take Heidfeld's place at Renault for Spa originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 25 Aug 2011 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2011 belgian grand prixbelgian grand prixbrunobruno sennalotus renault gprenaultsennaspaThu, 25 Aug 2011 08:28:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20026059/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2011/08/25/bruno-senna-to-take-heidfelds-place-at-renault-for-spa/20026059/article-detail.xml 20026059 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/08/q0c0211_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/08/q0c0211.jpg <![CDATA[Bruno Senna records a lap of Spa one-handed]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/05/02/bruno-senna-records-a-lap-of-spa-one-handed/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/05/02/bruno-senna-records-a-lap-of-spa-one-handed/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/05/02/bruno-senna-records-a-lap-of-spa-one-handed/#commentsFiled under: ,

bruno senna spa lap shot on a cell phone
Bruno Senna laps Spa one-handed - Click above to watch the video after the jump

Formula One driver Bruno Senna possesses some serious driving skills. If he didn't, he wouldn't be driving the Lotus Renault R30 on the Spa-Francorchamps circuit. But is Senna good enough at his craft to hammer out a lap at Spa using only one hand?

The brash Brazillian wanted to give his YouTube followers a first-hand account of what it's like to drive the R30 at Spa, so he recorded the lap with his cell phone. Actually, it's not exactly a lap of the classic circuit, it's more like a stunt session. If you're worried about distracted driving, don't, because Senna says in the video description: "Please note I drove within safe limits and not flat-out," then proceeds to tell others not to drive and shoot video at the same time.

That sounded nice and safe, at least until we saw the video. While we're sure Senna wasn't going all out, he was still moving faster than most humans ever should with both hands on the wheel. "Safe limits" clearly means different things to different people, no? Amazingly, Senna turns out to be as good a videographer as he is a driver, as the finished product is amazingly steady and well-composed.

Hit the jump to watch the amazing video for yourself, especially if you've always wanted a first-hand account of what a donut in an F1 car would look like. Nicely done, Mr. Senna, but probably not all that safe.

Continue reading Bruno Senna records a lap of Spa one-handed

Bruno Senna records a lap of Spa one-handed originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 May 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bruno Senna and Narain Karthikeyan

How the mighty have fallen. But when they do, someone else invariably needs to fill their shoes. And so comes two parallel developments from the lower rungs of the Formula One ladder.

In one corner we have Bruno Senna, the highly-anticipated nephew of the late great Ayrton Senna. The young Brazilian made his debut in F1 last season but failed to shine, and now it looks like his career in grand prix racing could be over almost as soon as it started. The Hispania Racing Team for which he drove last season has opted not to renew his contract for 2011, and with most of the other seats already spoken for, his options aren't looking too hot.

In his place, HRT has opted for one Narain Karthikeyan. The Indian racer drove for Jordan back in 2005 - punctuated by a big crash at the Chinese Grand Prix that year - before spending two seasons as a test driver for Williams. Karthikeyan has since driven for HRT chief Colin Kolles' Le Mans Series outfit, and returns to F1 (with crucial backing from Tata) just in time for the inaugural Indian Grand Prix. HRT has yet to confirm its second driver, but one thing's for sure: it ain't Bruno,

[Source: Autosport | Images: Manuel Lorenzo/AFP/Getty, Jerry Markland/Getty]

Senna out, Karthikeyan in at Hispania Racing Team for 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 11 Jan 2011 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The past few years in Formula One have seen an unprecedented return of legendary family names to the sport: names like Villeneuve, Piquet and Rosberg. But the most hyped scion of racing fame has been Bruno Senna.

The nephew of the late, great Ayrton Senna was rated highly by his world-champion uncle and has been on everyone's watch list for the past few years since he began competing in open-wheel formula racing. The young Brazilian was tipped to race in F1 for Honda until the Japanese automaker (which, incidentally, powered all three of his uncle's championship-winning McLarens) withdrew from the sport. Instead Bruno bided his time, won a few GP2 races and completed the 2008 championship as runner-up while finishing on the podium at his Le Mans Series debut at Catalunya.

Those waiting for the Senna name to return to F1, however, can stop waiting as Bruno has signed on with Campos Meta 1. Notably, despite the family ties with several teams on the grid - including Lotus, McLaren and Williams, to say nothing of the STR ties through family friend and confidante Gerhard Berger - Bruno ended up signing with one of the new teams joining the grid next year.

There's been no word on who will partner with him for the rookie squad, but sources suggest a more experienced veteran driver (like Alex Wurz, for example) is in the mix. But one thing's for sure: Senna's going to have all eyes fixed on him, and he'll have quite the reputation to live up to.

[Source: Autosport | Image: Mauricio Lima/Getty]

Bruno Senna to race in F1 next season with Campos Meta 1 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 07:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Believe it or not, nobody has put a muzzle on Bernie Ecclestone yet. After having publicly praised the likes of Adolf Hitler and Saddam Hussein, the Formula One chief has made headlines once again by characterizing the death of Ayrton Senna as "good for F1."

Clarifying his comments, Ecclestone noted that while it was "unfortunate" to have lost the three-time world champion widely remembered as history's greatest driver, the publicity his death generated ultimately helped the sport attract new followers.

As if the remarks couldn't have been any less sensitive or more revolting in their own right, they were shockingly made to the press in Senna's home country of Brazil - where the 2009 world championship was tied up this weekend - after meeting with the late Senna's sister Viviane and her son Bruno. The late great's nephew is reportedly being closely considered for a race seat next season with either Campos or Manor, two of the new teams joining the grid for the 2010 championship. That is, assuming Bruno can bear the thought of working with someone who characterizes the death of his family member as good for business.

[Source: F1-Live | Image: Clive Rose/Getty]

In Bad Taste: Ecclestone calls Senna's death "good for F1" originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ayrton Senna is often regarded as the best racing driver that ever lived. But when he left McLaren - the team with which he won three World Championships - at the end of the 1993 season, he reportedly declared, "If you think I'm good, just wait until you see my nephew Bruno." That's quite an endorsement. The following season, Ayrton died at San Marino, and Formula One has been waiting for the return of the Senna name and legendary prowess ever since. According to the latest reports, that's exactly what we could get as soon as next season.

The young heir to the Senna name has been working his way up the formula racing ladder for the past several years, leapfrogging from Formula BMW and Formula Renault up to Formula Three (where he won several races), GP2 (where he was runner up in this year's championship) and even a third-place finish at the Le Mans Series season opener at Catalunya. He earned a test with Honda last year and was tipped to replace Rubens Barrichello until the Japanese automaker - which had also powered his uncle's McLarens - pulled out of the sport. Now, however, the promising young Brazilian is reportedly being considered by Campos, one of the new teams joining the Formula One grid for next season.

Other drivers under consideration include McLaren's veteran test driver Pedro de la Rosa or Marc Gené (who was recently passed over for the race seat at Ferrari in favor of his fellow tester Luca Badoer) as well as Russian prodigy Vitaly Petrov and Spanish up-and-comer Antonio Garcia.

[Source: F1-Live | Image: JOSEP LAGO/AFP/Getty]

Ayrton's nephew Bruno Senna up for F1 race seat next season? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 13 Aug 2009 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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European Le Mans Series, Catalunya 2009 - Click above for image gallery

Ambition is good. Ambition backed by competence is better. Aston Martin Racing would appear to have both.

Since landing on the endurance racing scene in 2005 with a victory in its first race, the competition arm of the venerable British sportscar-maker has become an indomitable force, taking victory in the GT1 category at Le Mans two years in a row and expanding into every other GT class along the way. But AMR wasn't satisfied with class wins, so for this year, David Richards and company took aim at the diesel-burning big boys from Audi and Peugeot by entering the Le Mans Prototype Class with a DBR9-powered Lola chassis in partnership with Charouz Racing Systems. The Gulf-liveried Astons were unveiled less than a month ago, but made their racing debut this past weekend in Spain at the 1000 km of Catalunya, the season-opener to the European Le Mans Series. Follow the jump to read how it all unfolded.


Gallery: European Le Mans Series - Catalunya 2009

Continue reading Aston Martin LMP1 debuts at Le Mans Series season-opener in Catalunya [SPOILER ALERT]

Aston Martin LMP1 debuts at Le Mans Series season-opener in Catalunya [SPOILER ALERT] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 06 Apr 2009 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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With the start of the 2009 Formula One championship approaching, reports from the motorsport press are suggesting that Honda's F1 team may be starting this season after all. Honda had announced it was withdrawing from the sport after last season, leaving team leaders Nick Fry and Ross Brawn to look for new funding. And if those reports are to be believed, they may have found it. Some of it, anyway.

Without Honda's active participation, the team is speculated to run customer engines supplied by Mercedes-Benz. The task of securing financial backing, however, was made all the more difficult by team sponsor Petrobras' decision to withdraw from Formula One as well. But sources suggest that Honda may have found it more cost-effective to help keep the team afloat for a while longer rather than having to offer its employees severance packages. Additional funding is said to have come from the personal backers of Bruno Senna, nephew of the late great Ayrton Senna, who was tipped to partner Jenson Button at the team for this season before Honda pulled the plug. Lastly, reports indicate that F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone may be backing the orphaned team out of his own business interests. But the $30 million in funding reported may only be enough to get the former Honda team on the grid for the first four races in Australia, Malaysia, China and Bahrain, which could at least give Ross and Nick some more time to find new patrons and sponsors.

[Source: F1-Live and GrandPrix.com]

Honda strikes an Accord, may stay in F1 after all originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 Feb 2009 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bruno sennaBrunoSennahondahonda f1honda f1 bruno sennaHondaF1HondaF1BrunoSennaross brawnRossBrawnMon, 16 Feb 2009 18:01:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/1461102/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2009/02/16/honda-strikes-an-accord-may-stay-in-f1-after-all/1461102/article-detail.xml 1461102 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/02/12_hondaf1_ra300-ra108_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/02/12_hondaf1_ra300-ra108.jpg <![CDATA[Psych! Honda F1 not being bought by Mexican billionaire]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/29/psych-honda-f1-not-being-bought-by-mexican-billionaire/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/29/psych-honda-f1-not-being-bought-by-mexican-billionaire/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/29/psych-honda-f1-not-being-bought-by-mexican-billionaire/#commentsFiled under: ,

Have you heard the one about the former F1 team that gets bought by the Mexican billionaire? Yeah, well, we heard it, too, and it's completely untrue. Not only has Carlos Slim has not bought Honda, but a spokesman makes clear that "There is no deal for the Honda team. There is neither agreement nor negotiations."

Nevertheless, Honda says it is leaving the team in good shape and everything is still moving forward. Team chief Ross Brawn said "We have enough funding to get us through to Melbourne and we still have a competitive package." Brawn also said so many folks are snooping around that they've got to sort the jokers from the serious players. Cue Dave Richards...

[Source: Eurosport]

Psych! Honda F1 not being bought by Mexican billionaire originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 29 Dec 2008 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bruno sennaBrunoSennacarlos slimCarlosSlimf1formula 1Formula1hondahonda f1HondaF1ross brawnRossBrawnMon, 29 Dec 2008 11:29:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/1413062/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2008/12/29/psych-honda-f1-not-being-bought-by-mexican-billionaire/1413062/article-detail.xml 1413062 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/12/slim_no_honf1_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/12/slim_no_honf1.jpg <![CDATA[Honda F1 SOLD! to a man named Slim]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/27/honda-f1-sold-to-a-man-named-slim/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/27/honda-f1-sold-to-a-man-named-slim/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/27/honda-f1-sold-to-a-man-named-slim/#commentsFiled under: ,

According to La Stampa, Honda F1 has a buyer: Mexican telecom billionaire Carlos Slim Helu. Reports claim he paid the single dollar Honda was asking. He trumped Force India F1 owner Vijay Mallya, who was suspected to want the Honda team only for its tech know-how, and Prodrive's Dave Richards.

When Honda announced its immediate departure from F1 on December 4, it gave the outfit 27 days to find a bona fide buyer who would make a credible 3-year commitment to run the team. If the team did find such a purchaser, Honda said it would assist with finances and technical support. Carlos Slim has the finances and the experience: he is reportedly the second richest man in the world, and his companies are already involved in motorsport.

If the transaction proves to be true, and assuming the team gets funded properly, it will mean a few good things for the 2009 F1 season: it will add another privateer team to the grid, it will let Ross Brawn continue creating the team he's been dying to lead since he was at Ferrari, and it will return the name "Senna" to the grid. Bruno, Ayrton Senna's nephew, is sponsored by Embratel, a subsidiary of Slim's Telmex company, and will certainly replace Rubens Barrichello as the one flying the Brazilian flag.

[Source: La Stampa via My Automovil]

Honda F1 SOLD! to a man named Slim originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 27 Dec 2008 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Click for a hi-res gallery from the 2008 GP2 finale at Monza

If you're not familiar with the GP2 Series by now, think of it as the formula racing equivalent to college football. It can sometimes make for an even more engaging spectacle and gives a chance to preview who will make it into the big leagues of Formula One next. Since the series inception in 2005, each year's champion has earned a race seat in F1. And more than that, every year the runner-up has secured a testing role with the Renault F1 team. Considering that the drivers who have graduated from GP2 in the past few years have turned out to be some of the most talented young rookies in F1, any formula racing fan worth his lug-nuts keeps a keen eye trained on GP2.

This year's championship just wrapped up this weekend in Monza where the F1 circus came to race the Italian Grand Prix, providing a secondary spectacle for racing fans who braved the rain to get a glimpse of the action. Each stop on the GP2 calendar includes two races: the feature race on Saturday, and the reverse-grid sprint race on Sunday. To find out who took the honors and who you should watch in the big leagues for next year, follow the jump.

Gallery: GP2 Monza 2008


[Source: Autosport | Images: GP2 Series]

Continue reading The Once and Future King: 2008 GP2 Series wraps up at Monza (SPOILER ALERT)

The Once and Future King: 2008 GP2 Series wraps up at Monza (SPOILER ALERT) originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Sep 2008 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Settle down now, we haven't spoiled the results of the Monaco Grand Prix. For one thing, the race itself is on Sunday. For another, there hasn't been a Senna driving in F1 since Ayrton died in 1994. We're talking about Bruno Senna, his nephew who has been working his way up the ranks in pursuit of a hard-earned Formula One race seat to follow in the footsteps of his triple-world-champion uncle.

Bruno Senna drives in the second-tier GP2 series, from which the latest crop of F1 drivers have been plucked and in which Senna just scored his first victory of the season. And it wasn't just any track - it was in Monte Carlo, the same track where Ayrton won six times. Bruno practically led from pole, taking the lead from Pastor Maldonado, renowned for his pace at the Monaco track, and leading a flawless race all the way to the checkered flag - ahead of Maldonado and Senna's team mate Karun Chandhok - and setting the fastest lap in the process. Senna's victory puts him in second place for the GP2 title, only two points behind Giorgio Pantano who retired early from the race after an accident.

[Source: Autosport, Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty]

Senna wins at Monaco! originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 23 May 2008 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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