Bruno Senna drives Renault in demo run at Spa

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1st May 2011, 20:36 | Written by Keith Collantine

Bruno Senna drove demonstration laps at the World Series by Renault event at Spa this weekend.

He drove a 2010-spec R30 in the team’s current livery.

During the runs he drove in the opposite direction along part of the circuit, including Eau Rouge.

Senna posted on Twitter: “First time doing a demo – it was awesome! Going down Eau Rouge the wrong way was just epic! Lucky to have another five times to go.

“Second try, minimum speed going down Eau Rouge was 249kph. Going up like normal, flat-out minimum speed was 298kph. Just aweseome!”

Here are some pictures from his run:

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Images © Renault / Franck Faugere

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56 comments on “Bruno Senna drives Renault in demo run at Spa”

RIISE (@riise)
1st May 2011, 20:40

So let me guess? This isn’t going to get the same ridicule as Ferrari’s demo run is it?
1. RIISE (@riise)
  1st May 2011, 20:41
  
  Then again it is the R30…
  1. BasCB (@bascb)
    2nd May 2011, 7:19
    
    I guess that is sufficient reason not to :-D
Todfod (@todfod)
1st May 2011, 20:52

Eau Rogue backwards! I hope they have some footage of that. It does seem like quite a dangerous move though…
1. Icthyes (@icthyes)
  1st May 2011, 20:54
  
  Laguna Seca anyone?
  1. PJ
    1st May 2011, 21:08
    
    Laguna Seca isn’t taken at 350kph on entry.
    1. Icthyes (@icthyes)
      1st May 2011, 22:42
      
      And even that’s considered too dangerous for F1.
2. jake
  1st May 2011, 21:14
  
  Have tried it on F1 2010 n its pretty cool even on that, so it must be pretty awesome
3. f1fanboy
  1st May 2011, 22:41
  
  great thing about youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6a0MCdhEuI
  1. BasCB (@bascb)
    2nd May 2011, 7:21
    
    Wow, there goes to everyone saying he will be gutted not to have gotten the drive to replace Kubica.
    This is a very solid make up for that, looks thrilling!
4. SoLiDG
  2nd May 2011, 10:52
  
  Toyota did the same thing some years back.
  They held a shake down on spa and did eau rouge a few times in both ways. I have some pics of it somewhere :)
Icthyes (@icthyes)
1st May 2011, 20:53

How about a reverse-direction race at Spa to replace Bahrain? ;)
1. Scribe
  2nd May 2011, 12:18
  
  It’d be this mad hill climb, all those famous corners going up the hill, would be completley epic.
TommyB (@tommyb89)
1st May 2011, 20:55

I’d love to see a video of him going DOWN Eau Rouge. That’d be a bit weird.
1. Fixy (@)
  1st May 2011, 20:58
  
  In future, mis-informed people that will see a photo of him driving backwards will think he was crazy!
2. PJ
  1st May 2011, 21:11
  
  I suggested a reverse Spa when all the Bahrain fuss initially kicked up and I got a tweet from a guy who went downhill on it in a street luge. Even at those speeds he was catching air while going down.
  
  Of course there’s a ton of downforce on an F1 car but an accident at the top of Eau Rouge will launch a car into the nearest grandstand.
  1. RIISE (@riise)
    1st May 2011, 22:04
    
    I think if it did happen the teams would be instructed to slap a ton of rear wing on. I don’t think any driver would be stupid enough to try and overtake going into Eau Rouge though, then again with Kobayashi on the grid…..
    1. joseph
      2nd May 2011, 7:55
      
      with DRS activated down the straight into reverse Eau Rouge it would be very intresting
  2. Kimster
    2nd May 2011, 19:10
    
    How and when did he do that? Its a closed racingcircuit
3. BasCB (@bascb)
  2nd May 2011, 7:22
  
  look at that linke posted by f1fanboy. Really nice video footage, fast look before FOM takes it down!
  1. Scribe
    2nd May 2011, 12:22
    
    No worries thats not a FOM event.
    1. BasCB (@bascb)
      2nd May 2011, 20:47
      
      Pfew, relieved about that. But Bernie might still try to get it pulled down, to secure his rights to F1 :-D
Robert McKay
1st May 2011, 21:08

Just doing what surely everyone has done in a videogame, turning round and going down Eau Rouge :-D

On a (very slightly) more serious note I wonder if a circuit is ever tempted to run a race in the opposite direction – y’know, just to see what it’s like…I mean nowadays we have all these modern circuits with multiple configurations, but even the older ones have two theoretical configurations :-D
1. jake
  1st May 2011, 21:18
  
  I always go backwards on most track on video games to see what it’s like. Interlagos, Melbourne, Monaco and of-course Spa are particular favorites.
  1. Calum (@calum)
    1st May 2011, 21:27
    
    Monaco backwards is the best! Casino Square blind left hander is some corner! ;)
2. Fixy (@)
  1st May 2011, 21:35
  
  They could do so just to try, but not race it until they modify all the track. Kerbs, run aways, barriers, pits, everything should be changed.
PJ
1st May 2011, 21:14

I found this quite funny :)

BSenna
Bruno Senna
Tried filming with my phone today!! But got some difficulty with the gear changes driving flat out, so will try tomorrow again and improve!
30 Apr Favorite Retweet Reply

karunchandhok Karun Chandhok
@BSenna umm, you know they have on board cameras nowdays right ??!! muppet….
1. Icthyes (@icthyes)
  1st May 2011, 21:23
  
  That’s hilarious!
2. RIISE (@riise)
  1st May 2011, 21:41
  
  Hehe that made me chuckle quite loud.
3. BasCB (@bascb)
  2nd May 2011, 7:23
  
  LOL, nice one there from Karun!
4. AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner)
  2nd May 2011, 20:16
  
  Very good ;)
5. Dan_the_McLaren_fan (@dan_the_mclaren_fan)
  2nd May 2011, 22:36
  
  It might sound ridicilous, but the result is quite good. Check it out :
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ly7v4UUaML0&feature=player_embedded
Fixy (@)
1st May 2011, 21:37

Here is when he drives backwars, but he stops halfway through to do a donut sadly.
1. gandy
  1st May 2011, 23:48
  
  I personally saw him driving backwards through Eau Rouge. He even did it multiple times during the weekend.
  
  Although I have video footage myself, someone already posted it on YouTube:
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAZ90gmIP7c&t=1m3s
  1. BasCB (@bascb)
    2nd May 2011, 7:28
    
    Must have been a great experience. Shame they do not put more of this kind of action into the GP weekends.
    
    I bet the fans would love it and the test drivers would really get some bang for their buck as well.
  2. Fixy (@)
    2nd May 2011, 15:20
    
    I’d give anything for an on board shot.
2. AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner)
  2nd May 2011, 20:18
  
  Urgh… I hate seeing F1 cars do donuts. Looks so silly.
sozavele (@formula-1)
1st May 2011, 21:42

Yes, I beat Prisoner Monkeys. Bruno may not have had a great season last year but putting him in a test in a competitive car could express his talent and get him back on the grid. He was in line for a 2009 Brawn seat.
1. RIISE (@riise)
  1st May 2011, 22:02
  
  I doubt it, he may get a race seat but it won’t be with Renault, I can’t really see him anywhere else either.
  
  As for Brawn, yes he was but that was under the influence of raising funds due to his name. If they had have took him on Red Bull/Vettel would be Double WCC/WDC Champions.
  
  He was outclassed somewhat by Karun so given his performance in the HRT I reckon it will go against him when teams come looking for a new driver.
  1. Fixy (@)
    2nd May 2011, 15:36
    
    Senna would have probably substituted Barrichello, not Button.
    1. BasCB (@bascb)
      2nd May 2011, 20:49
      
      Yeah, but with Button being dependant on Rubens setup for some races that year and Senna unlikely to have taken as much points away from the RB cars it might have been a very tight fight for them.
2. Lee
  2nd May 2011, 10:47
  
  He tested the renault at Barcelona the day after Petrov did, and within 3 laps had done a faster lap time than Petrov managed in both tests at the track.
  
  He has talent and i think its unfair when people say he only gets drives because of his name, this clearly is not the case or he would have had the Brawn drive or even a better drive last season. He doesnt have the financial backing of some of the far less able pay drivers in the sport at the moment, which is a real shame.
  
  Hopefully next year.
sozavele (@formula-1)
1st May 2011, 22:08

Yes but Renault have faith in him taking him as the main test driver while Karun is langushing at Team Lotus.
Gnarly Racing (@)
1st May 2011, 22:11

Nice surprise to see a feel-good Senna story, about the present day, on the first of May.

Would be great if Bruno got to race the Renault, maybe at Interlagos, once Heidfeld’s championship bid is over(!) and of course if Kubica’s not back by then.
George (@george)
1st May 2011, 22:26

Did the engine blow up or something? Doesn’t look very healthy in one of those pics
1. Icthyes (@icthyes)
  1st May 2011, 22:40
  
  Maybe oil or something, like Webber last year in Bahrain.
2. BasCB (@bascb)
  2nd May 2011, 7:29
  
  Its the smoke coming from his tyres after he did a burnout and then straightened the car again.
TommyC
1st May 2011, 23:28

wow, i was just thinking the other day what would happen if an f1 car drove the wrong way down eau rouge, now i know!
sozavele (@formula-1)
2nd May 2011, 8:24

Yeah!!! Don’t be technical if your not sure. Read the other post and look at the links first. Bruno’s burnouts were great. Even though he may not get a race seat next year I think he may get one at say Sauber the following year when his talent has developed and can cope with the pressure of Formula 1. Still no Prisoner Monkeys!!!
Dan Thorn
2nd May 2011, 8:38

I remember on F1 2001 if you knocked both wings off the car and drove the wrong way down Eau Rouge the car would take off until it hit an invisible wall…
1. BasCB (@bascb)
  2nd May 2011, 8:55
  
  From how cautious Bruno drives through it on the first try, you would think he did that one as well!
Dan_the_McLaren_fan (@dan_the_mclaren_fan)
2nd May 2011, 14:33

I’ve been there yesterday! My first live race, and the fisrt time I see (and hear) a F1 car going at top speed in front of me! It was absolutly amazing for me (and absolutly awful for my ears, now I understand why everyone recommend ear plugs for a F1 race).
And seeing a F1 car driving in the opposite direction at Eau Rouge was fun!

Spa is really an amazing place, too bad F1 tickets are so expensive there…
1. BasCB (@bascb)
  2nd May 2011, 20:51
  
  I bet that WSR event was well worth it for you then!
  
  I would love to go to Spa one time, and after winning an error print of JP Tierneys Belgium poster I just must plan that trip for the coming years!
Geo
3rd May 2011, 0:16

May I ask what is the point to this ‘demo’, is it some sort of secret test or something? :)

Or a ‘show off our sponsors a bit more on you tube/internet’? ;)
1. Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
  3rd May 2011, 0:18
  
  is it some sort of secret test or something?
  
  Erm, no:
  
  Bruno Senna drove demonstration laps at the World Series by Renault event at Spa this weekend.
2. BasCB (@bascb)
  3rd May 2011, 12:53
  
  I guess the main part of it was to give those fans a bit more worth for their buck and Renault showing off their racing heritage.
  
  Should be well enough for a reason, don’t you think?

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