Publications
Partners
PARIS, France - Racing driver Bruno Senna hopes British cinema audiences will be as "touched" as he was when they watch a movie-style documentary about his late uncle and Formula 1 great Ayrton Senna's life and career.
The film, called simply 'Senna', charts the three-times F1 champion's life and decade-long career and will be released in UK cinemas tonight (June 3, 2011).
Ayrton Senna died in 1994 from fatal head injuries sustained in a crash at Imola, the treacherous track that had claimed the life of Austrian driver Roland Ratzenberger the previous day. There have been no fatalities in Formula 1 since his crash in 1994; equally there had been none for the previous eight years - then two drivers died in two days.
CHARISMATIC AND OUTSPOKEN
"He is so alive in people's memories, even people (who) have never seen him (race) before," Bruno Senna told The Associated Press in a recent interview. "They have this image of what he did before... sometimes people come and talk to me, these little kids, and they say 'He's your uncle'."
Bruno Senna, who made his F1 debut with Hispania Racing in 2010 and is now a reserve driver for Renault, was a small child when his uncle took the racing world by storm, stunning observers with his qualifying speeds and drawing in fans with his charisma and outspoken manner.
He watched the movie's premiere with racing fans at the Interlagos track in Sao Paulo late last year.
"I had the privilege of watching the movie in a premiere in Brazil," Bruno expained. "It was interesting seeing it with other people and seeing how they reacted. People feel totally touched by it... with all the extra footage that they found, it (makes) a very special experience for everybody.
"People in the UK used to follow Ayrton very closely so I hope everybody enjoys it as much as I did and it brings them as many memories as it did to me. The movie is very strong in many ways. It shows Ayrton's personality a little bit, puts forward how he was pushing for everything he believed in."
'FOUGHT FOR WHAT WAS RIGHT'
Ayrton Senna's racing career was often as feisty off the track as it was dashing on it. He had turbulent relations and falling-outs with other F1 drivers, clashed with the F1 authorities and most famously with his own McLaren team mate, the four-times World champion Alain Prost. Prost refused to be interviewed about the film when approached by AP at last weekend's 2011 Monaco F1 GP.
"He was always trying to fight for what he thought was right," Bruno said. "It was also interesting to get the opportunity to see what he was like off the track, the person who was worried about his own country."
In the same way that football star Diego Maradona crystalised a country's hopes when playing for Argentina and tennis star Novak Djokovic does now for Serbia, Ayrton Senna often felt the aspirations of an entire country on his shoulders.
"During his life he brought pride for the people (of Brazil), (helped) the people to believe they could be world champions," Bruno explained. "They needed that in a country which at the time was very much in need of someone who was a reference, who was a very important role (model)."
'SPECIAL TO BE WITH HIM'
Bruno Senna, 27, was a small child when he sat in the cockpit of Senna's McLaren at the Interlagos GP.
"I managed to (go) to the Brazilian GP in 1993 and 1994," he said. "I was very young so it was hard to comprehend everything that was going on. But it was quite special to be there in Interlagos with him. You could really feel how important he was."
Bruno Senna has spoken to several of his uncle's rivals from their racing days and recalls a conversation with Nigel Mansell that encapsulates the Senna character.
"When (Mansell) won his first championship (in 1992) he was on the podium with Ayrton," Bruno recalls. "Everybody had a hard (time) with Ayrton because he was always very ruthless and he always tried to win at pretty much whatever the cost.
"At that moment they were on the podium, and Ayrton poked Mansell, and said 'Feels good, doesn't it?' Then Nigel said 'Yeah, feels really, really good' ... and (Ayrton) is like 'Why do you think I'm such a difficult person to be with on the track? Because I really, really want this all the time'."
*It could not be confirmed if or when 'Senna' might be shown in South African cinemas.
Watch the trailer below:
The film, called simply 'Senna', charts the three-times F1 champion's life and decade-long career and will be released in UK cinemas tonight (June 3, 2011).
Ayrton Senna died in 1994 from fatal head injuries sustained in a crash at Imola, the treacherous track that had claimed the life of Austrian driver Roland Ratzenberger the previous day. There have been no fatalities in Formula 1 since his crash in 1994; equally there had been none for the previous eight years - then two drivers died in two days.
CHARISMATIC AND OUTSPOKEN
"He is so alive in people's memories, even people (who) have never seen him (race) before," Bruno Senna told The Associated Press in a recent interview. "They have this image of what he did before... sometimes people come and talk to me, these little kids, and they say 'He's your uncle'."
Bruno Senna, who made his F1 debut with Hispania Racing in 2010 and is now a reserve driver for Renault, was a small child when his uncle took the racing world by storm, stunning observers with his qualifying speeds and drawing in fans with his charisma and outspoken manner.
He watched the movie's premiere with racing fans at the Interlagos track in Sao Paulo late last year.
"I had the privilege of watching the movie in a premiere in Brazil," Bruno expained. "It was interesting seeing it with other people and seeing how they reacted. People feel totally touched by it... with all the extra footage that they found, it (makes) a very special experience for everybody.
"People in the UK used to follow Ayrton very closely so I hope everybody enjoys it as much as I did and it brings them as many memories as it did to me. The movie is very strong in many ways. It shows Ayrton's personality a little bit, puts forward how he was pushing for everything he believed in."
'FOUGHT FOR WHAT WAS RIGHT'
Ayrton Senna's racing career was often as feisty off the track as it was dashing on it. He had turbulent relations and falling-outs with other F1 drivers, clashed with the F1 authorities and most famously with his own McLaren team mate, the four-times World champion Alain Prost. Prost refused to be interviewed about the film when approached by AP at last weekend's 2011 Monaco F1 GP.
"He was always trying to fight for what he thought was right," Bruno said. "It was also interesting to get the opportunity to see what he was like off the track, the person who was worried about his own country."
In the same way that football star Diego Maradona crystalised a country's hopes when playing for Argentina and tennis star Novak Djokovic does now for Serbia, Ayrton Senna often felt the aspirations of an entire country on his shoulders.
"During his life he brought pride for the people (of Brazil), (helped) the people to believe they could be world champions," Bruno explained. "They needed that in a country which at the time was very much in need of someone who was a reference, who was a very important role (model)."
'SPECIAL TO BE WITH HIM'
Bruno Senna, 27, was a small child when he sat in the cockpit of Senna's McLaren at the Interlagos GP.
"I managed to (go) to the Brazilian GP in 1993 and 1994," he said. "I was very young so it was hard to comprehend everything that was going on. But it was quite special to be there in Interlagos with him. You could really feel how important he was."
Bruno Senna has spoken to several of his uncle's rivals from their racing days and recalls a conversation with Nigel Mansell that encapsulates the Senna character.
"When (Mansell) won his first championship (in 1992) he was on the podium with Ayrton," Bruno recalls. "Everybody had a hard (time) with Ayrton because he was always very ruthless and he always tried to win at pretty much whatever the cost.
"At that moment they were on the podium, and Ayrton poked Mansell, and said 'Feels good, doesn't it?' Then Nigel said 'Yeah, feels really, really good' ... and (Ayrton) is like 'Why do you think I'm such a difficult person to be with on the track? Because I really, really want this all the time'."
*It could not be confirmed if or when 'Senna' might be shown in South African cinemas.
Watch the trailer below: