Category: Auto Racing

The legend of Ayrton Senna, which developed a cult like following while he raced and grew larger after his death at Imola in 1994.

Senna, a limited series showing on Netflix, depicts the life of the three time world champion in an uneven, somewhat thin retelling of the story. Senna, the documentary produced by ESPN in 2010, presents a richer portrait of one of the best F1 drivers in history.

The six episodes on Netflix follow common ground for a story which depicts a driver who was fatally injured. It begins the day of the accident, then cuts to six-year-old Ayrton running into his father’s shop to see his first go cart. Film is not the only guilty party here. Books suffer the same flaw.

Produced in Brazil by a Brazilian production company, the film appears to be performed in Portugese and dubbed in English.

If you are looking for an in depth look at the private Senna, this isn’t the place. There is nothing new here, and I didn’t get a sense of his off track personality. Away from the track, he spends time with his family, who he was very close to, and he has an eye for the ladies. His passion for racing is all consuming. Going back to see the 2010 documentary will compliment the viewing of Senna on Netflix.

The racing scenes are decent, and they are interspersed with video clips of the actual events. The cars appear representative of the design of that era, late 80s-early 90s.

I did like some aspects of the film. The addition of a fictional journalist, Laura Harrison, acted as a Greek chorus, reflecting Senna’s drive and ambitions. She met Senna when he raced Formula Ford i England, and like him, wanted to be covering Formula 1. They pretty much advanced together, Her half Brazilian heritage allowed her to gain Senna’s trust. Kaya Scodelario, who played Harrison, gives the best performance in the film.

Senna’s rivalry with Alain Prost were portrayed well. Senna is considered the father of dirty driving, but Prost taught him much of what he did. The Brazilian’s quest to become world champion also encountered a barrier in Jean Marie Balestre, who seemed to favor Prost. As Senna took over second place in the rain at Monaco and was charging toward Prost in the lead, Balestre stopped the race and declared it official, denying Senna the win.

After the pair collide in Japan, senna continues and wins. Prost went to Balestre and convinces him to disqualify Senna for cutting a chicane, giving Prost the world championship.

I didn’t Gabriel Leone, the actor who portrayed the protagonist, looked anything like Senna, he is too good looking, and his hair was too short and neat. Other driver portrayals were quite accurate, however. I got chills when Niki Lauda first appeared. It was a spot on likeness. The actors playing Prost, Nelson Piquet, and James Hunt also were very accurate in appearance.

I thought the last episode was the best of the series. It was tight and focused solely on the bloody Imola weekend. On Friday night Senna goes to the hospital to see Rubens Barichello, who was severely injured in a crash that afternoon. Saturday afternoon Roland Ratzenberger is killed ina crash, and Senna begins to wonder why he still races. Dr. Sid Watkins questions why he needs to do this. Senna has accomplished everything he can in the sport. We see the doubt on his face as he gets in his car and slowly dons his helmet. We see very little of the actual incident.

While I was hoping for more from the series, it was nice getting a bit of a racing fix in December. If you know the Senna story, there is nothing new to learn here. For those new to racing, you will learn about a legend, and it is a worthwhile use of your time.