GROVE, July 17: Williams’ Formula One driver Bruno Senna collected the Lorenzo Bandini Trophy in the picturesque town of Brisighella, Italy, awarded to him for showing great promise at the beginning of his racing career.

In front of a large crowd of enthusiastic grand prix fans, the presentation ceremony on Monday saw Bruno presented with the trophy given in the memory of Lorenzo Bandini, the leading Italian driver at the time of his tragic death at the 1967 Monaco Grand Prix.

The trophy was presented to Bruno in an open air amphitheatre and is a ceramic replica of Bandini’s famous number 18 Formula One Ferrari and was first awarded to Ivan Capelli in 1992.

The event has become an annual pilgrimage for the fans who line the streets to pay tribute to the late Ferrari driver while also celebrating their new heroes. Past winners of the Bandini Trophy include Jacques Villeneuve, Felipe Massa, Robert Kubica, David Coulthard, Alex Wurz, Juan Pablo Montoya and Fernando Alonso.

Commenting on the honour, Bruno said: “It’s a huge honour to be chosen to receive such a prestigious award. I’ve seen some of the names who have won this in the past and what they have gone on to achieve in their careers, so let’s hope this is just the start of greater things for me too.” IANS