Bruno Senna has recalled Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s visit to the Senna family farm in an interview published on November 11. After securing his first F1 World Championship in Mexico City, Antonelli was invited to explore a place associated with his idol Ayrton Senna. He sat in the 1986 Lotus 98T and drove on the kart track Senna designed.
A connection that began at Imola
Bruno said he had long known Antonelli and his father Marco were Senna fans. When they first met at Imola in 2024, Antonelli was racing in Formula 2 and wearing Senna clothing. Their friendly conversation became the starting point for further contact.
After the family extended the invitation, father and son arrived by helicopter. Bruno recalled Marco emerging with tears in his eyes. The tour included the small room where Ayrton built model aeroplanes, and Antonelli enjoyed those glimpses of his idol’s everyday life.
Exploring the Lotus and driving the kart track
Inside the Lotus 98T, Antonelli examined the turbo-boost control, anti-roll-bar adjustment and manual gear lever. Bruno joked that he did not want to leave the cockpit. Marco wondered whether his son could drive a manual racing car, prompting an immediate expression of confidence.
Bruno said Antonelli fitted the historic car well and hoped a future event could provide an opportunity to drive it. The actual track driving on this visit took place in a kart on Ayrton’s circuit.
The surface was dirty and covered with stones, leaving a narrow clean line. Bruno said Antonelli quickly established a groove and repeatedly stayed within it. In Bruno’s description, straying roughly 10 centimetres could put a kart on the grass and send it spinning, making precision especially important.
Bruno joked about weighing 10 kilograms more before conceding that weight alone could hardly explain the pace difference. The combination of speed and consistency impressed him most. He said the display showed why Antonelli was a World Champion.
Enthusiasm and humility after the title
Antonelli subsequently paid tribute to Senna with a yellow-and-green helmet at the Brazilian Grand Prix. Bruno believes the connection reflects both Marco’s influence and Antonelli’s own growing understanding of what Ayrton represented as a driver and a person.
He particularly praised the new champion’s humility. The attention surrounding F1 can easily change a young driver’s outlook, Bruno said, making a natural attitude alongside competitive aggression valuable. At the farm, Antonelli’s enthusiasm remained focused on the people, objects and driving experiences connected with his idol.
