Q & A with Bruno Senna
By Charles Bradley Thursday, March 5th 2009, 11:58 GMT
After holding out for a race seat with Honda F1 over the winter, Bruno Senna is waiting for the seemingly inevitable announcement that Rubens Barrichello will partner Jenson Button this year instead of him.
The GP2 runner-up has already ruled out a return to the feeder category, and feels he has proven he's ready to graduate to the Grand Prix grid.
Frustrated by some of the stories and quotes attributed to him this week, Bruno felt the need to set the record straight exclusively with autosport.com.
Q. What is the current situation regarding yourself and Honda F1?
Bruno SennaBruno Senna: "So far nothing is official, and we've been struggling to make contact with them because they've been very busy with preparing for the shakedown test. At the end of the day, it seems that Ross [Brawn] has made his decision. It looks like he's based it on the security of the team - it's much easier for him to take Rubens because he's worked with him for a long time.
"Ross was happy with my testing at the end of last year, but it just wasn't enough for him to have the proof that I'm ready for Formula One. I respect his opinion, but I think it's a very straightforward way of looking at things."
Q. Where does that leave you?
BS: "We have quite a few things going on now. We have quite a few proposals, both outside and inside Formula One. It's a difficult moment, because we need to think about which way is the best to go. It's very important for me to be linked with Formula One, this year and in the future, in whatever we decide to do. One thing I have learned from this is you've got to be in the right place at the right time."
Q. How important is it that you race something this year?
BS: "It is important, but I'm not sure exactly where that will be. GP2 has been a very good preparation for me to get to F1, but there are also some series that are a step sideways from that. I think whatever chance arises can be what I make it to be. It's important to get a good strategy so I'm tied up with F1 in whatever we chose to do. It's not an easy task."
Q. There has been talk of you racing with Mercedes in the DTM, is this an option?
BS: "We have spoken with Norbert [Haug] but we haven't taken anything forward from our chat yet. When we last spoke I still had a really good chance with Honda in F1, so I can't really say anything – the discussion hasn't really happened about that yet. It's something that is certainly in the frame, but we need to talk about it a lot more. Whatever I do, I will take it very seriously. I want to be successful in anything I do."
Q. Are you still determined to get to F1?
BS: "We want to go to F1 as soon as we have the chance. Whatever we do in the short-term will have that in mind also."
Q. How frustrated are you at coming so close to that with Honda?
BS: "It is frustrating, yes, but I like to think that if something doesn't happen it means there is something better around the corner. It's difficult to understand why things changed very quickly as they did, but at the end of the day you can't control everything. Looking at it realistically, we were in the wrong place at the wrong time. As soon as we tested with the team, the manufacturer decided to pull out.
"The financial crisis arrived, and I wasn't able to test any more. It's been very difficult. I am still hopeful, and I know I could do a good job – even with very little testing and preparation. But it's easy to say, and difficult to prove. Ross did think my test in Barcelona was impressive, he just hasn't seen enough. That's the problem."
Q. When did you last speak to Ross?
BS: "We spoke to him last week. We had a meeting scheduled for Monday this week, but they were very busy sorting everything out, and the priority became to make sure the team could get going as quickly as possible."
Q. What are you going to do while you wait for something to happen?
BS: "I've been working very hard on my fitness, and I'll wait for another one or two weeks to see what happens. Depending on how that goes, I might even take a week off my training – I've been doing it for one year and three months without a break! I'm ready for F1 right now, I was flat-out in gym all over Christmas and New Year's Day. I have taken this very seriously, so it now depends on what happens next."
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/73565 
