Q & A with Bruno Senna

Bruno Senna: I have been surprised. As soon as the rumours started coming out, it is only natural that people would be talking about it. But I was more surprised about how people became sure about things - and announcing things before any announcement has been made.

I wasn't in England but I heard it was announced on ITV that I was going to test for Honda - but we haven't signed anything with them. We are talking to people and everybody is only going to decide after the championship is over as they have their contracts to fulfil, and they cannot do anything before that.

It is no secret that I have been talking to these people, to Honda, Toro Rosso and other teams. But there is nothing signed yet with anyone. It is important for people to know that nothing is signed and I have not signed a contract for next year.

Q. Are you optimistic about the way the talks are going?

BS: Yes. I think it is looking very, very good for testing in November. So I am pretty confident that we can do a test. I hope I can get more than a day of testing, and if that happens then it will depend on my performance and how it goes in testing to see how things proceed. To be honest if I can get more than one day of testing I should be able to prove that we can learn quickly and do a good job.

Q. Will you only test if there is an option to have a race seat with that team?

BS: No. Because it depends on the team to decide if I am good enough to be a race driver or not. Sometimes if it doesn't work with the team, and the team has a good test programme and a good test opportunity it might be good for me to join forces with them, do another year of GP2 and then try again next year. But I hope I can get an (F1) race drive next year already.

Q. So you would test for a team that has already got its driver line-up sorted out for next year?

BS: Yes. Obviously it would have to be a good team with a good test programme. Next year's testing is down to four days or something so it is not a lot, but there are other ways you can go over that point - like with simulators or straight line testing. You can get used to how the team works, the electronics of the car and get used to things. When you go into the car for the first time on a circuit you are much more familiar with it, so there is an advantage anyway.

Q. Have you anything left to learn in GP2? Will it just be a case of treading water if you stay there?

BS: No, of course not. At the end of the day it is only my fourth championship and I had a strong year, but I had a few problems this year that prevented me from winning the championship. But even so I learned something new every race, and every race I do - even if I have to do another year in GP2 - I learn a lot and it will prepare me even more for F1. But, I think I could go to F1, do well enough and learn enough just by doing it. And I think doing that would be a better position than doing another season in GP2. But we have to wait and see what the conditions present.

Q. But not the GP2 Asia winter series?

BS: Not the winter series again, definitely! To be fair, the winter series was a good experience because I spent a lot of time with the team. The conditions were very difficult in the winter series last year with the different engines, going to places where the structure was not great and we ended up getting an experience you didn't need. You don't need the experience of going to a circuit where your helmet gets hammered and you don't see your sponsors any more, or the team has to spend 15,000 Euros to fix the cars without any accidents. Some places are not worth going.

Q. What is it like with the pressure from Brazil and all the attention you get?

BS: It is pretty big here. Because I don't come here very often, people don't expect to see me. So I can go anywhere, and sometimes one person or another talks to me - but the press is quite strong here. They have learned from Rubens (Barrichello) or (Felipe) Massa or Ayrton (Senna), and every Brazilian driver that the Brazilian press and Brazilian people are very, very active on their athletes.

Like tennis, for example. It was never a very popular or mainstream sport, but as soon as you got someone winning then suddenly tennis became great. Then Guga (Gustavo Kuerten) started going badly and people started criticising him. So it is a bit of a difficult thing to cope with in Brazil, but every Brazilian has to do that.

Q. You have some good sponsors behind you. Embratel have been linked with Honda Racing, does that ease your path into F1?

BS: I don't think Embratel are talking to Honda at all. Embratel definitely does not have the budget to sponsor an F1 team, although Telmex that owns Embratel might be in talks with Honda.

It was a surprise to us when we read in a newspaper that Embratel were close to a deal with Honda, and we wondered why they did not tell us that. So we went to speak to them and they said there was nothing going on, so obviously there is something else going on.

I have strong sponsors. Unfortunately Santander is tied up with McLaren for next year, and they would not be able to join forces with any of the teams I may join. But they are sponsors anyway and they can help me in different ways.

Q. When do you expect some news about your testing in November?

BS: I think next week will be the expected time to get announced for testing in November, and I hope it comes up sooner rather than later. It is a nervous time for drivers when you are negotiating for next year and trying to work out what you are going to do.