senna-and-sena

Aston Martin sportscar ace Darren Turner says he was impressed with Bruno Senna after the Brazilian drove the Vantage GTE for the first time at the Algarve circuit in Portugal.

The Brazilian announced earlier this month that he was joining Aston Martin to compete in the World Endurance Championship this year.

Senna will drive the Vantage in the GTE Pro class during the WEC season, including the Le Mans 24 Hours.

The former grand prix driver got his first taste of the car this week, and team-mate Turner admitted he was surprised at how quickly Senna got up to speed, especially given the tricky track conditions.

“Bruno certainly had a baptism of fire as his first run in a GT car was in the dark and the rain but he did amazing job and I was surprised at how quickly he adapted to the car,” Turner said.

Senna admitted he had taken things easy as he began adapting to the car following his stint in Formula 1.

“I’m pleased with the way things went,” he said. “The rain prevented us from running as much as we expected on Sunday, but at night at least I was able to make some mileage on wet tyres.

“The Vantage GTE felt good to drive, but is quite different compared to the Formula 1 cars I drove in the recent seasons.

“You have to brake early and I was very careful, mainly when the track was still wet.

“Overall, these were useful days for us. Now I look forward to the second test session at Road Atlanta.”

Aston Martin will be testing at the American track before it travels to the Sebring for the 12-hour race on March 16.

source: autosport.com