Here’s how Bruno Senna scored pole position for tomorrow’s GP2 feature race:
He later insisted the crash was not intentional, although it brought out the red flags and cemented his position at the top of the times sheets. But it was strangely similar to how his uncle Ayrton Senna scored pole position at the same circuit in 1991 by spinning at the end of his lap.
When F1 first went to Magny-Cours in 1991 the configuration of the final corners was different to how it is today. Insitead of a right-left chicane leading onto the start/finish straight, there was a sharp right-hander.
But, just as today, the timing beam for the lap was positioned shortly after the corner. Senna reasoned if he threw his car at the final corner on his last lap he could cut the timing beam more quickly, regardless of whether or not he was still in control of the car. And that’s exactly what he did, although it only got him third on the grid.
Bruno Senna today claimed this similar accident was not intentional:
I honestly prefer to complete my laps in the classic way, with four wheels attached. I’m certain it would have been quicker to complete the lap in the proper way too. But it’s quite easy to go off here.
Although it gave him pole position, with the chasing Romain Grosjean and Giorgio Pantano just 0.037s and 0.051s behind him respectively, his car will need repairs ahead of tomorrow’s feature race.
Earlier this year Bruno Senna won at Monte-Carlo in GP2 as Ayrton Senna did a record six times during his F1 career.
