Bruno Senna Reportedly Signs with Campos for 2010
According to Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport Bruno Senna has signed a deal to make his Formula One debut with the new Spanish team Campos in 2010.
The Brazilian, whose uncle Ayrton won the world championship three times, is said to carry a double-digit million euro sum in personal sponsorship, as the arrival of up to four new teams next year signals the return of a pay-driver era.
Favorite to be his teammate is Pedro de la Rosa.
Also eyed by the new teams Campos, Manor and Lotus is Vitaly Petrov, a Russian who finished the 2009 GP2 championship in second place while promising a hefty 15 million euros to a Formula One employer for next season.
The Brazilians Lucas di Grassi (7m euros) and Nelson Piquet (5m euros) can also offer sponsorship to a 2010 team, as can the respectively Mexican and Venezuelan Sergio Perez and Pastor Maldonado.
The new Malaysian-owned Lotus team, meanwhile, is said to be eying Fairuz Fauzy as a teammate for the highly experienced Toyota refugee Jarno Trulli.
At the top of Manor/Virgin’s driver shortlist is the Irish reigning A1GP champion Adam Carroll, who according to Auto Motor und Sport also has sponsorship money in tow.
But the 26-year-old is reportedly hesitating, amid uncertainty about which of F1’s new teams will actually make it to the Bahrain season opener next March.
Senna’s debut was inevitable, he has reasonable pace & a ton of cash behind him. Petrov fits into the same class, nothing stellar in his driving but a decent shoe with a very big wallet.
Maldonado is the wild card in that deck, he can be frighteningly fast, is a street circuit specialist, pretty much owned Monaco in WsBR & GP2, but has never shaken the wild man label. He can really be described as fast but at times undisciplined. However, with his experience & a third GP2 season with a team like ART he should have done better than 6th in the title.
Not being negative, but…….there is no guarantee that Campos, Manor or USGPE will be on the grid next year, although Lotus seems to be assured. I’m wondering if this early signing of Senna is the injection of funds that the team needs to move forward.
I still keep waiting for the other shoe to drop regarding Sauber’s lack of an entry for 2010.
Well, there’s no guarantee The Littlest Perv will retire to his London sin bin either if you get my point.
You watching Bathurst? The Performance Racing Ford had a bit of a “hot time” in the pits, 3 safety cars, and WHAT THE HELL Bresnard in the lead with a bit over 40 laps to go.
Yeah, parked in front of the TV with a few beers.