Williams Grand Prix Holdings PLC : WILLIAMS F1 CONFIRMS BRUNO SENNA FOR 2012
DGAP-News: Williams Grand Prix Holdings PLC / Key word(s): Change of
Personnel
Williams Grand Prix Holdings PLC : WILLIAMS F1 CONFIRMS BRUNO SENNA
FOR 2012
17.01.2012 / 14:00
---------------------------------------------------------------------
WILLIAMS F1 CONFIRMS BRUNO SENNA FOR 2012
17 January 2012. Grove, UK. Williams F1 (Ticker: WGF1) today confirmed that
Bruno Senna will contest the 2012 FIA Formula One World Championship for
the Williams F1 Team. The appointment finalises the team's line up for this
year following confirmation in December that Pastor Maldonado will enter
his second season in Formula One as a Williams race driver. Bruno will make
his debut with the Williams F1 Team in Jerez on 9th February at the first
of the winter tests.
Frank Williams, Team Principal, said, 'Bruno only started racing when he
was 20 years old but quickly proved his talent in F3 and GP2. In a tightly
fought 2008 GP2 season, Bruno finished second in the Championship with
notable victories in Monaco and Silverstone, the latter in the wet. The
circumstances of Bruno's two seasons in Formula One have not given him an
ideal opportunity to deliver consistently so it was essential that we spent
as much time with him as possible to understand and evaluate him as a
driver. We have done this both on track and in our simulator and he has
proven quick, technically insightful and above all capable of learning and
applying his learning quickly and consistently. Now we are looking forward
to seeing that talent in our race car.'
Bruno commented, 'I feel very privileged that Williams has selected me as
one of their race drivers. The team has a great heritage and I hope I can
help write a good chapter in their history. The evaluation process has been
intense and methodical but the time I have spent in the factory has
demonstrated that the team has great people and all the resources needed to
achieve better things this season.
'It will be very interesting to drive for a team that my uncle has driven
for, particularly as quite a few of the people here actually worked with
Ayrton. Hopefully we can bring back some memories and create some great new
ones too. I also want to get some good results in return for the support my
country has given me to help get me to this position today. I am very proud
to be Brazilian and more motivated than ever to demonstrate what I can do.
Ever since I first sat in a go-kart I never wanted to do anything else.'
- Ends -
Images of Bruno can be downloaded at www.williams.latphoto.co.uk
A video edit for broadcast use can be downloaded from
www.williamsf1broadcast.com. For access please enter the password:
williamsf12012.
BIOGRAPHY: BRUNO SENNA
Nationality Brazilian
Date of birth 15th October 1983
Place of birth São Paulo, Brazil
Lives Monaco
Height 1.8m
Weight 69kg
Marital status Single
Hobbies Cycling, swimming, boxing, music and PS3
FORMULA ONE STATISTICS TO DATE
F1 debut Bahrain 2010
Starts 26
Wins 0
Podiums 0
Poles 0
Fastest laps 0
Total points 2
Born in São Paulo in 1983, Bruno Senna showed talent from an early age when
he raced karts against his uncle, Ayrton, on the family farm. However,
Bruno was a relative latecomer to professional motorsport, not making his
competitive race debut until 2004 in the Formula BMW UK Championship at the
age of 20. Since then he has made an impressive rise through the ranks to
make his Formula One debut in 2010.
In 2005 Bruno began the first of two seasons competing in the British F3
Championship with Räikkönen Robertson Racing. After picking up three
podiums in the final races of 2005, Bruno went on to take five victories en
route to securing third in the 2006 Championship.
In 2007, Bruno graduated to GP2 with Arden International. He finished
fourth on his debut in Bahrain and scored his first win in the feature race
in Spain at the following event. He signed for iSport International in 2008
and claimed his first win of the season in the Monaco feature race. In
total, Bruno claimed two wins, six podiums and three pole positions,
narrowly missing out on the title.
Bruno had his first taste of Formula One in 2008 when he took part in a one
day test for Honda. However, when the manufacturer decided to pull out of
the sport, Bruno switched his attentions to sports car racing. In 2009 he
took part in three Le Mans Series races (claiming podium finishes in two of
them) and also had the opportunity to compete in the famous Le Mans 24
Hours. This proved a useful stepping stone in his career as Bruno joined
the newly formed Hispania Racing team for his Formula One race debut in
2010.
Bruno started the 2011 season as official reserve driver for Lotus Renault
GP. He competed in eight races after replacing Nick Heidfeld from the
Belgium Grand Prix onwards, qualifying seventh for his first race. After
qualifying within the top ten once again in Monza, Bruno secured his first
Formula One points with a ninth place finish.
Bruno joins Pastor Maldonado at Williams F1 for the 2012 FIA Formula One
World Championship season starting in Australia on the 18th March.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
2011
FIA Formula One World Championship with Lotus Renault GP (8 races, 18th)
2010
FIA Formula One World Championship with Hispania Racing (23rd)
2009
Le Mans Series, 2 podiums (from 3 starts)
Le Mans 24 Hours
2008
GP2 Championship, 2nd overall: 2 wins, 6 podiums, 3 poles
First Formula One test with Honda
2007
GP2 Championship, 8th overall: 1 win, 3 podiums
2006
British Formula 3 Championship, 3rd overall: 5 wins, 9 podiums, 3 poles
2005
British Formula 3 Championship, 10th overall: 1 pole
2004
Formula BMW UK Championship
End of Corporate News
---------------------------------------------------------------------
17.01.2012 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a
company of EquityStory AG.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
DGAP's Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements,
Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.
Media archive at www.dgap-medientreff.de and www.dgap.de
---------------------------------------------------------------------
153074 17.01.2012
DGAP-News: Williams Grand Prix Holdings PLC / Key word(s): Change of
Personnel
Williams Grand Prix Holdings PLC : WILLIAMS F1 CONFIRMS BRUNO SENNA
FOR 2012
17.01.2012 / 14:00
---------------------------------------------------------------------
WILLIAMS F1 CONFIRMS BRUNO SENNA FOR 2012
17 January 2012. Grove, UK. Williams F1 (Ticker: WGF1) today confirmed that
Bruno Senna will contest the 2012 FIA Formula One World Championship for
the Williams F1 Team. The appointment finalises the team's line up for this
year following confirmation in December that Pastor Maldonado will enter
his second season in Formula One as a Williams race driver. Bruno will make
his debut with the Williams F1 Team in Jerez on 9th February at the first
of the winter tests.
Frank Williams, Team Principal, said, 'Bruno only started racing when he
was 20 years old but quickly proved his talent in F3 and GP2. In a tightly
fought 2008 GP2 season, Bruno finished second in the Championship with
notable victories in Monaco and Silverstone, the latter in the wet. The
circumstances of Bruno's two seasons in Formula One have not given him an
ideal opportunity to deliver consistently so it was essential that we spent
as much time with him as possible to understand and evaluate him as a
driver. We have done this both on track and in our simulator and he has
proven quick, technically insightful and above all capable of learning and
applying his learning quickly and consistently. Now we are looking forward
to seeing that talent in our race car.'
Bruno commented, 'I feel very privileged that Williams has selected me as
one of their race drivers. The team has a great heritage and I hope I can
help write a good chapter in their history. The evaluation process has been
intense and methodical but the time I have spent in the factory has
demonstrated that the team has great people and all the resources needed to
achieve better things this season.
'It will be very interesting to drive for a team that my uncle has driven
for, particularly as quite a few of the people here actually worked with
Ayrton. Hopefully we can bring back some memories and create some great new
ones too. I also want to get some good results in return for the support my
country has given me to help get me to this position today. I am very proud
to be Brazilian and more motivated than ever to demonstrate what I can do.
Ever since I first sat in a go-kart I never wanted to do anything else.'
- Ends -
Images of Bruno can be downloaded at www.williams.latphoto.co.uk
A video edit for broadcast use can be downloaded from
www.williamsf1broadcast.com. For access please enter the password:
williamsf12012.
BIOGRAPHY: BRUNO SENNA
Nationality Brazilian
Date of birth 15th October 1983
Place of birth São Paulo, Brazil
Lives Monaco
Height 1.8m
Weight 69kg
Marital status Single
Hobbies Cycling, swimming, boxing, music and PS3
FORMULA ONE STATISTICS TO DATE
F1 debut Bahrain 2010
Starts 26
Wins 0
Podiums 0
Poles 0
Fastest laps 0
Total points 2
Born in São Paulo in 1983, Bruno Senna showed talent from an early age when
he raced karts against his uncle, Ayrton, on the family farm. However,
Bruno was a relative latecomer to professional motorsport, not making his
competitive race debut until 2004 in the Formula BMW UK Championship at the
age of 20. Since then he has made an impressive rise through the ranks to
make his Formula One debut in 2010.
In 2005 Bruno began the first of two seasons competing in the British F3
Championship with Räikkönen Robertson Racing. After picking up three
podiums in the final races of 2005, Bruno went on to take five victories en
route to securing third in the 2006 Championship.
In 2007, Bruno graduated to GP2 with Arden International. He finished
fourth on his debut in Bahrain and scored his first win in the feature race
in Spain at the following event. He signed for iSport International in 2008
and claimed his first win of the season in the Monaco feature race. In
total, Bruno claimed two wins, six podiums and three pole positions,
narrowly missing out on the title.
Bruno had his first taste of Formula One in 2008 when he took part in a one
day test for Honda. However, when the manufacturer decided to pull out of
the sport, Bruno switched his attentions to sports car racing. In 2009 he
took part in three Le Mans Series races (claiming podium finishes in two of
them) and also had the opportunity to compete in the famous Le Mans 24
Hours. This proved a useful stepping stone in his career as Bruno joined
the newly formed Hispania Racing team for his Formula One race debut in
2010.
Bruno started the 2011 season as official reserve driver for Lotus Renault
GP. He competed in eight races after replacing Nick Heidfeld from the
Belgium Grand Prix onwards, qualifying seventh for his first race. After
qualifying within the top ten once again in Monza, Bruno secured his first
Formula One points with a ninth place finish.
Bruno joins Pastor Maldonado at Williams F1 for the 2012 FIA Formula One
World Championship season starting in Australia on the 18th March.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
2011
FIA Formula One World Championship with Lotus Renault GP (8 races, 18th)
2010
FIA Formula One World Championship with Hispania Racing (23rd)
2009
Le Mans Series, 2 podiums (from 3 starts)
Le Mans 24 Hours
2008
GP2 Championship, 2nd overall: 2 wins, 6 podiums, 3 poles
First Formula One test with Honda
2007
GP2 Championship, 8th overall: 1 win, 3 podiums
2006
British Formula 3 Championship, 3rd overall: 5 wins, 9 podiums, 3 poles
2005
British Formula 3 Championship, 10th overall: 1 pole
2004
Formula BMW UK Championship
End of Corporate News
---------------------------------------------------------------------
17.01.2012 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a
company of EquityStory AG.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
DGAP's Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements,
Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.
Media archive at www.dgap-medientreff.de and www.dgap.de
---------------------------------------------------------------------
153074 17.01.2012