Following the first race of the FIA Formula E Championship Bruno Senna came away with mixed feelings; the Mahindra Racing driver clearly had the speed however bad luck throughout qualifying and the race stripped him of his high hopes. However the Brazilian racer looks forward to coming back stronger in Malaysia and solidifying his speed around the streets of Putrajaya.
With the first race of the season complete, how did you find the one-day format?The one day format has its pros and cons. Things move very fast so if you’re doing well you rarely lose momentum which means you’re likely to have a good weekend. You’re able to move from one session to another without lingering too much and you keep your head in the right place as a result. However if you have an issue during one of the sessions you may not be able to recover quite so quickly. But this just means that you have to do a lot of homework before the weekend and make sure that you’re prepared for it mentally as well.
You came out as one of three drivers given the FanBoost vote in Beijing, how have you found the support for you and the team in general?
The support from my fans and the fans of the FIA Formula E Championship has been really great. There was lots of interest generated in the lead up to Beijing and the FanBoost is always going to be a welcome help during these very competitive races. Mahindra have been very active on social media and we of course have the power of India behind us too!
What can you take away from the weekend in Beijing?
Of course I was unlucky with technical problems in my car but the fact that I came away with the fastest lap of the whole weekend [set during Free Practice] makes me optimistic and sure that we have a competitive car. We know we should be fighting for wins over the coming races so that’s always a nice positive to come away from any weekend with. Karun did a great job in Beijing and scored valuable points for the team. Both he and the team overcame the difficulties well and that makes me excited for the rest of the season.
Every race weekend we learn so much – the team have been working hard with all the data we gathered from Beijing and I believe we will be even more competitive in Putrajaya. The conditions will be tougher but we will prepare for this.
How much do you know about the Putrajaya circuit? Can you compare it to anywhere you’ve driven in the past?
The Putrajaya circuit is quite different to Beijing. It’s mostly wider which make distance judgements a little more difficult but I think the toughest aspect is still going to be the hot and humid temperatures and the effect that has on the cars – it’s a bit of an unknown really.
You’ve been in Brazil recently with Formula 1 – how have you found juggling your driving commitments and your commentary/TV work?
The TV work together with the racing work is definitely not easy. There’s a lot of travelling involved – a lot more than normal – so it’s essential to fit in fitness training wherever and whenever possible. It’s important to make sure that you have time for physical preparation as these street circuits can be very unforgiving but I’m enjoying the challenge of taking on both roles.
What do you think is possible for the rest of the season?
I believe that we can fight for pole positions as well as wins so that gives me great motivation!
And finally, have there been any interesting situations you’ve found yourself in while carrying out your commentating and presenting role?
There have been some, yes! When the race in Austin was over myself and Johnny Herbert decided to meet some of the amazing fans who turned up for the GP. We tried to do a piece to camera in amongst the fans while live on air - but it was totally crazy out there! People were literally pulling me for photos while I was trying to interview someone else and it even got to point where I was getting pulled in so many directions that my shirt tore from it all! Things like that are quite interesting!
