Senna’s blown engine was named Diana

A nice post by Brad Spurgeon that shows it is not just Sebastian Vettel who gives Formula 1 cars or car parts women’s names.

It turns out the Cosworth engine that blew up on Bruno Senna last weekend was named Diana.

There’s reason for the naming, though, as Spurgeon relates:

In any case, as the Cosworth person started leaving, he told Senna that they had gone over the engine and found it would be impossible to save. The thing was completely destroyed. Senna thought it might make a good coffee table, however, and he asked if he could have it for that purpose.

“It was Diana,” he said.

“What?” I said.

“That was the name of the engine,” Senna said. “It was Diana. They name the engines. Our engine guys. Gary names the engines. Mine is Joanna now. They told me I could name an engine now, if I want to.”

Gary is Gary Sherwood, the Cosworth man who works closely with the team on the engines, and he was passing by the table at this moment, and he said: “It’s an easy way to remember their names. Apparently engines need love too.”

Yes, and all the engines have women’s names.

I know what you’re thinking, and, yes, Spurgeon knew what you were thinking, too. And he asks the question:

Me: What would you name your engine?

Senna: This is a difficult question because it is a love/hate relationship with your engine. Blowing up an engine means that you’re killing someone that you love. Or naming the engine someone that you hate, you just want to break it. And you don’t want to break your engine. So it’s hard. They asked me about it, which name I want to give an engine, and I said I won’t do that right now. You’re going to compromise me if I say any names.

Me: Yes, if you say your girlfriend, your mother might be jealous, or if you say your mother…

Senna: I could never say my mother’s name because if I blow up my engine….

Now, correct me if I’m wrong — but of course with decorum, as Negative Camber would desire — but does that not sound like something his uncle would have said?

Anyway, there’s you cute little human interest story for the day.