Senna replaces Heidfeld at Renault F1
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Shanghai Daily, August 26, 2011
Brazilian Bruno Senna will race for Renault in this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix instead of Germany's Nick Heidfeld, the Formula One team said on Wednesday.
Senna, nephew of the late triple world champion Ayrton, raced for struggling Spanish-based team Hispania (HRT) without scoring a point last year and is currently a Renault test and reserve driver.
Speculation about the 27-year-old possibly replacing Heidfeld has been bubbling away since the Hungarian Grand Prix, where Renault team boss Eric Boullier was critical of the veteran's performances.
Boullier said in Budapest that Heidfeld's performances were 'good, but not good enough'.
The team's Luxembourg-based owners Genii Capital also recently trumpeted a new joint venture in Brazil with the WWI Group to manage an investment portfolio totalling US$10 billion.
Renault said in a statement that Senna would partner Russian Vitaly Petrov at Spa-Francorchamps but gave few details beyond that. "Bruno will attend the Official FIA Press Conference tomorrow at 15.00," the team added.
Senna took part in Friday practice for Renault in Hungary, replacing Heidfeld, and also drove the team's 2009 car at a private test in Spain during the August break. Heidfeld was drafted in as a replacement for Robert Kubica before the start of the season when the Pole suffered a life-threatening rally accident that he is still recovering from.
As an experienced driver with more than 180 races under his belt, compared to Petrov's single season in the sport, the German had been expected to take the senior role at the team in a competitive car.
The German has scored more points than his teammate - 34 to the Russian's 32 from 11 races - and was on the podium in Malaysia in the season's second round - but Renault clearly expected more from him.
Boullier has also spoken highly of fellow-Frenchman Romain Grosjean, the GP2 series leader, leading to speculation that the former Renault racer could return to the team once he has wrapped up the title.
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