Five years after launching its popular Formula One docuseries “Drive to Survive,” Netflix has dipped into the history of auto racing’s most prestigious championship for its first scripted project about the sport, based on the life of one of its all-time greats: Ayrton Senna.
“Senna,” premiering on Nov. 29, follows the dashing Brazilian from his karting days in São Paulo to his tragic death, at 34, in a crash during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. As teased in the exclusive trailer below, the six-part miniseries, starring Gabriel Leone (“Ferrari”) as Senna, focuses much of its attention on the unforgettable thrills of Senna’s 10 years in F1, including his bitter rivalry with McLaren teammate Alain Prost, his legendary skill at racing in the rain and his three World Drivers,
Championships.The showrunner, Vicente Amorim, introduces us to Senna’s supportive parents, Miltão (Marco Ricca) and Zaza (Susana Ribeiro), his glamorous pop star girlfriend, Xuxa (Pâmela Tomé), and Laura Harrison (Kaya Scodelario), a fictional reporter who becomes one of the driver’s closest allies after he moves to Europe. The series also includes a healthy dose of wheel-to-wheel racing that will satisfy even the most ardent gearheads
Even while “Drive to Survive” and the addition of three Grand Prix events to the U.S. have contributed to the sport’s growing appeal among American viewers, it is still far more important overseas, much like soccer. Therefore, “Senna,” which was produced in Brazil and primarily shot in Portuguese with the help of Formula One’s governing body, appears likely to create new connections between Netflix and ardent F1 fans who are already aware of Senna and his achievements.
Previously, Asif Kapadia’s 2011 documentary “Senna” focused on the driverMatt Brennan is the deputy editor for entertainment and the arts of the Los Angeles Times. He was raised in the Boston region, attended USC for his education, and spent almost ten years as an adopted New Orleanian until moving back to Los Angeles in 2019 to work as the television editor for the newsroom. His writing has been published in Indiewire, Slate, Deadspin, and many other magazines. He was the TV editor at Paste Magazine before that.