Bruno Senna favourably impressed with Campos

Bruno Senna: Favourably impressed with Campos
Author: Stephan Heublein, Motorsport-Magazin.com

Motorsport-Magazin.com: On Sunday 25th October, Bruno Senna put his name to one of the most important documents in his career to date -- his first Formula One contract to race with Campos Meta. "This was a very special victory to savour, a minor triumph," writes Senna in his column for Motorsport-Magazin.com, adding that Adrian Campos had signed him first and foremost for his driving skills rather than his illustrious name or any sponsorship that might flow from the deal.

Senna has already paid his first visit to the factory of Dallara, the Italian racing car constructors who are building the chassis for the Spanish-run Campos team. "What I saw there filled me with confidence," says Senna. "The car is at a very advanced stage and the monocoque is already finished. It has also passed the lateral and frontal crash tests, which are the most critical of all." Senna has already had a chance to sit in the cockpit and try out the servo steering: "I'm very impressed with what I've seen."

Even his 5ft 11ins (1.8 metres) frame did not present any problems. "The wheelbase was long enough. I'm not exactly the shortest driver on the circuit, and with the increased size of tanks now they have banned refuelling, this is clearly going to be a major issue with the 2010 generation of F1 cars," Senna told Motorsport-Magazin.com. "But the cockpit was a good fit and didn't require any modification."

He is optimistic about next season, as Campos have recruited a strong line-up of staff, including former Red Bull aerodynamic designer Ben Agathangelou who worked as Robert Kubica's race engineer. "Of the new teams coming into the series, Campos are clearly the outfit that is furthest along the road," says Senna with conviction. He is quick to dismiss speculation about underfinancing: "All the bills have been paid and the financial structure is sound. There have been sufficient funds for the team to complete all projected work."

Consequently, he feels that the team should be capable of making an impact in its first season: "Our minimum target has to be to establish ourselves as the best of the newcomers and to score the odd point or two. Obviously, it would be great if Campos turned out to be the surprise package and were competitive right from the start of the season, but I'm not pinning my hopes on that. We need to learn together and keep developing as a team."

-credit: motorsport-magazin.com