Oct.9 (GMM) Bruno Senna may now have signed a deal to make his formula one debut with the new Spanish team Campos in 2010, according to Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport.
The Brazilian, whose uncle Ayrton won the world championship three times, is said to carry a double-digit million euro sum in personal sponsorship, as the arrival of up to four new teams next year signals the return of a pay-driver era.
Favourite to be his teammate is Pedro de la Rosa.
Also eyed by the new teams Campos, Manor and Lotus is Vitaly Petrov, a Russian who finished the 2009 GP2 championship in second place while promising a hefty 15 million euros to a formula one employer for next season.
The Brazilians Lucas di Grassi (7m euros) and Nelson Piquet (5m euros) can also offer sponsorship to a 2010 team, as can the respectively Mexican and Venezuelan Sergio Perez and Pastor Maldonado.
The new Malaysian-owned Lotus team, meanwhile, is said to be eying Fairuz Fauzy as a teammate for the highly experienced Toyota refugee Jarno Trulli.
At the top of Manor/Virgin’s driver shortlist is the Irish reigning A1GP champion Adam Carroll, who according to Auto Motor und Sport also has sponsorship money in tow.
But the 26-year-old is reportedly hesitating, amid uncertainty about which of F1’s new teams will actually make it to the Bahrain season opener next March.
