"If you think I'm fast, just wait until you see my nephew Bruno."
Possibly the greatest Formula 1 driver to have lived, late great Ayrton Senna's famous line of 1993 had engulfed nephew Bruno Senna when the young Brazilian started his professional racing career. The surname and its legacy still shadows him despite spending more than a decade in Formula racing, trying to create a name for himself.
Does he get tired of still answering questions about his mother Viviane's younger brother, who won three World Championship titles before succumbing to injuries and dying following a devastating accident at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.
"It (questions on Ayrton) has gone down massively to what it was at the beginning of my career but it is part of the job. In the end, it is really nice to see that people have so much respect and admiration for Ayrton. Even over 20 years later (after his death) he is still a big subject. So yeah I do not have a problem," Bruno told IANS during a chat here.
Because of his surname, the media hounds Bruno each time he turns out for Public Relations (PR) related activities when not racing. But the 32-year-old said it must be done "for the larger picture".
"It is part of the job. We are all working not only for the fun of racing but there is a whole big picture that you have to understand if you want to be in the sport. Nowadays, sports are also more and more about PR," added Bruno.
The Brazilian was at the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) here for a promotional event of his Formula E team Mahindra Racing where he partners German Nick Heidfeld.
The transition from the first season (2014-15) of the electric-racing series into the second (2015-16) hasn't translated into big results for Bruno with the former Formula 1 driver able to achieve only one top-5 spot in four races this season.
"It has been a really interesting transition. The team has changed a lot since last year. We have done some development in the car. The series has become harder than last year. The competition is very strong this year and we have been improving the car," said Bruno, who raced in Formula 1 from 2010 to 2012 with Hispania Racing, Lotus Renault and Williams.
"The pre-season testing was very good for us this year. We are getting there. We still need to get results and I hope that soon it will pay off on the track," added the Sao Paulo-born, who is a very close friend of Indian racer Karun Chandhok.
These days the former F1 driver has developed a new hobby -- to fly drones! He does not get much time off the racing calendar, but whenever he does, Bruno takes his quadcopters and flies them on a nice, sunny off day.
"During my free time at home, I fly quadcopters and drones. They are racing drones. I build them and it is my new enthusiasm. It is a lot of fun. It is something that trains your reflexes, conditions your mind and at the same time is quite relaxing. So having a nice day out somewhere outside in the sun, nature and flying -- something I really enjoy," concluded Bruno.
(Sandip Sikdar can be contacted at sandip.s@ians.in)
