My rookie for 2010

For a while now, we've been hearing reports that USF1 and Campos Meta, two new teams on the Formula 1 grid, have been having money trouble. It would seem that Campos is currently winning, with USF1 having announced the liquidation of their property assets. There are also whisperings that some of their sponsors will now be investing in Campos Meta.

This excites me. Firstly, Americans tend to support NASCAR, rather than F1, so their sponsors were never going to be plentiful. Thus, I feel that, however valiant, it was a doomed attempt. To be fair, Campos haven't had that much luck attracting sponsors, finding a second driver or getting their car together on schedule. Secondly, Campos have a secret weapon: Bruno Senna.

Yes, I do adore the man. How can one not love a driver who's dorky enough to tweet in Klingon, referencing Big Bang Theory? He's talented (his uncle, Ayrton [if you don't know who Ayrton Senna is, google is your friend. He's too famous to warrant me linking to his wiki page], once commented that if people thought that [Ayrton] was talented, they should see [Bruno] drive), competitive, motivated, and hungry...oh so hungry. He's wanted to be a driver since he was tiny, having spent hours racing in, and winning, kart races. However, after Ayrton's death in 1994 and the death of Bruno's father, Flávio Lalli, the following year (both in motorsport-related accidents), his racing career came to a screeching halt. He tried various sports during his teen years, but none of them ever really seemed to excite him. It wasn't until he turned eighteen that his mother asked him what he wanted to do with his life. He was, at the time, enrolled in a business degree and working in a car dealership with his maternal grandfather. Without hesitation, Bruno announced that he wanted to get into racing. By 2005, his racing career was going places, funded largely by the Senna family fortune.

That brings us to now. After the disappointment of being left out of F1 for 2009 (he tested with Honda and was rumoured to have a seat before the manufacturer pulled out of the series), he now has a drive (however tenuous it looks at this point). To quote him (quoting Leonard from Big Bang Theory) "vetlhghaH chay' maH SuS Daq shire" (translation: "That is how we roll in the shire"). So, here's to my rookie of the year. May he have success this year (and may his team actually make it to the first race)!