Bruno Senna, the former Formula 1 driver and nephew of three-time world champion Ayrton Senna, has described a visit by Kimi Antonelli to the Senna family estate. He spoke on the official podcast F1 Beyond The Grid. According to the F1 website, the 20-year-old Antonelli was invited shortly after clinching his first Drivers' Championship in Mexico City.
A seat in the 1986 Lotus
During the visit Antonelli met members of the family and sat in the Lotus 98T, the car Ayrton Senna raced in 1986. Bruno Senna said Antonelli examined the controls, including the turbo boost knob, an adjustable anti-roll bar and the gearstick, and did not want to climb out. Senna added that he had floated the idea of Lotus or McLaren arranging for Antonelli to drive one of these cars next year, saying the driver's height suits it. Antonelli's father Marco wondered aloud whether his son could handle a manual car, and Kimi replied that he could.
Laps on Ayrton's kart track
The group also drove the go-kart track that Ayrton Senna designed. Bruno Senna said Antonelli was quick and consistent, and joked that he himself was slower partly because he is 10kg heavier. He described the surface as dirty and stony, saying Antonelli found a line and stayed on it. Straying 10cm off it, Senna said, would send a driver onto the grass and into a spin. He said the experience "showed why he's a World Champion".
A long-standing admiration
Senna said he first met Antonelli at Imola in 2024, when the young driver was competing in Formula 2 and was dressed head to toe in Senna merchandise. He said the family knew Antonelli and his father Marco were big fans of Ayrton. According to Senna, Marco came out of the helicopter on arrival with tears in his eyes because the occasion was unexpected. Senna credited Marco, who raced when younger, with passing the passion on to his son, but said Kimi was also inspired once he grasped what Ayrton represented as a person. At the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, Antonelli had worn a yellow and green helmet as a tribute to Ayrton Senna.
Praise for a humble approach
Bruno Senna, who raced in F1 between 2009 and 2011, called Antonelli "incredibly humble" and down to earth. He said that staying humble while keeping the right aggression is a difficult balance in a sport where drivers can lose perspective. He also named Gabriel Bortoleto, Oliver Bearman and Pierre Gasly as young drivers who impress him with their attitude, and said he is proud to see them remain themselves.
