Q&A with Bruno Senna before Abu Dhabi

The penultimate race of the season was one of Bruno’s favourite tracks last year, and he can’t wait to return.

How would you summarise your weekend as a whole in India?

Well, on one hand it was a good weekend, but on the other hand we did not deliver. The fact that we were competitive on Friday and that we had good potential makes the result much sourer. It was expectation, more than anything, that caused us to be disappointed. At times, we demonstrated the car’s pace, which is why the end result was such a bitter pill to swallow. We had a few problems that didn’t allow us to be up where we hoped to be, but this sometimes happens in motor racing and the main objective now is to understand why.

Did you enjoy the overall Indian experience?

India was extremely interesting, yes. The country is a very different place from anywhere else on the map; you can experience an entirely different culture. It was a completely new race weekend experience; a new circuit which faced its own challenges and hurdles but one that showed the world it can host an F1 event. The track is a hugely enjoyable one to drive on, and I think the race was a real hit with everyone involved.

Abu Dhabi next – how much did you enjoy racing there last season?

Well, Abu Dhabi and Brazil were probably my best two races last season, where I didn’t experience any problems. I know the Yas Marina Circuit well; the track clicked with me. I really took to driving there and I think it suited me well. I really do feel we could have a strong race weekend if we put everything together, despite the fact that our car does not seem to like slow corners that much. It is going to be a long race and I think some of the other teams have a little bit of an advantage, but we are going to be pushing and will do our utmost to stay ahead of our rivals.

You talked about high expectations going into India – how will you manage your expectations as you approach the penultimate race of the season?

Well, we need to be realistic but also put in a massive effort to extract the maximum possible from the weekend. In terms of managing our expectations, fortunately we always wait until Friday to know what to expect in terms of results, and we believe that we can do a good job again in Abu Dhabi. It is a very tight group; we need to get everything 100% right to be in front of them. We are at the business end of the season now and, make no mistake, we will be putting in every ounce of effort to secure some pride for the team.