Five unlikely epic drives

Nephew of F1 legend Ayrton, Bruno Senna has earned a reputation as a professional racing driver in his own right. From Sao Paolo to the South of France, he tells The Club about his five most thrilling drives

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Monaco to Saint-Tropez, France

I live in the South of France, and this is probably one of the prettiest roads I’ve ever seen. The vast majority of rock is the same colour along the Mediterranean coast, but between Cannes and St Raphael there’s a beautiful range of red stone. It’s almost like you’re in the USA. You drive through quaint little towns and have incredible sea views the whole way.

Car of choice: McLaren 675LT Spider

Photo: Getty Images

Mille Miglia, Italy

I drove this Italian route with British racing driver Martin Brundle in a 1956 Jaguar D-Type and he terrified me along the way. On the first night, we went down a dark road with Martin driving. He took a corner too hard and had to slam on the brakes. As he did, the wheels locked and the lights went out so we were plunged into complete darkness as we slid along. Once we’d recovered, I gently suggested we slow down and luckily he agreed. Aside from that, it was a fun experience.

Car of choice: Jaguar D-type 1956

Photo: Alamy

Bahia State, Brazil

I don’t do a lot of off-roading, but I really enjoy it. My family used to own a coffee farm in the northeast of Brazil, and I have happy memories of taking a 4x4 out there and driving around the crops for hours. The farm was so big I didn’t see anyone else the whole time. It was just me and the car.

Car of choice: Land Rover Defender

Photo: Getty Images

Sao Paulo to Campos Do Cordao, Brazil

This 180km stretch of road leads up to Campos Do Jordao, a popular winter holiday town. From the moment you leave Sao Paulo you’re in the countryside and heading into the mountains, driving through dense forest. Look out for the anthills on the side of the road – some are over a metre high.

Car of choice: Ford Focus RS

Photo: Alamy

Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium

This is one of Europe’s most difficult racing circuits. There’s a challenging corner known as Eau Rouge, which also has a massive change of elevation. I was the first person to drive the route in the opposite direction in an F1 car. It was crazy but thrilling.

Car of choice: Lotus T127

Photo: Getty Images

Bruno Senna

Five unlikely epic drives

Monaco to Saint-Tropez, France

Mille Miglia, Italy

Bahia State, Brazil

Sao Paulo to Campos Do Cordao, Brazil

Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium

Monaco to Saint-Tropez, France

Mille Miglia, Italy

Bahia State, Brazil

Sao Paulo to Campos Do Cordao, Brazil

Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium

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