"Even before I got into a car, I already knew I was born to race."
— Ayrton Senna
Senna is a biographical sports drama miniseries based on the life of Formula One driver Ayrton Senna.
Following the life of Ayrton Senna (Gabriel Leone) from the beginnings of his racing career, right down to his death in the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.
It was released on Netflix on 29 November 2024.
Previews: Teaser Trailer
, Official Trailer, Behind the Scenes and Making the Cars
Outside of the subject material, it's unrelated to the film of the same name, which is a documentary, instead of a drama.
Senna provides examples of:
- The Ace: Senna is portrayed as this from the very first episode. He is naturally more gifted, more driven, and more charismatic than almost everyone else on the grid.
- Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy: Senna's early racing style is often portrayed this way. He doesn't just want to win; he wants to dominate to the point where his opponents feel they have no choice but to move or crash.
- Artistic License – Geography: The Norfolk scenes in Episode 1 feature prominent mountains in the background. In real life, Norfolk is famously one of the flattest regions in England (the scenes were filmed in Argentina).
- Broke Your Arm Punching Out Cthulhu: At the 1991 Brazilian GP, Senna wins despite his gearbox failing, leading to him screaming in agony from muscle spasms after crossing the line.
- Composite Character: Journalist Laura Harrison (Kaya Scodelario) is a fictional character who acts as a stand-in for the various media figures Senna interacted with.
- Cool Car: Everything on the grid, including cars driven by Senna, like the Van Dieman RF81, Toleman TG184, Lotus 97T, McLaren MP4/4, McLaren MP4/5B and Williams FW16.
- Determinator: The central theme of Senna’s personality. Whether he's driving through a monsoon with a broken gearbox or fighting the FIA, he simply refuses to give up.
- Establishing Character Moment: The 1984 Monaco Grand Prix scene. Seeing Senna hunt down established champions in a vastly inferior Toleman car during a downpour immediately tells the audience he is The Rain Master.
- Foregone Conclusion: As with any biography of a historical figure who died publicly, the audience knows exactly how the series will end. Anyone who knows about Senna knows how the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix turned out, making the ominous mentions to Imola into something of a Foreshadowing.
- Friendly Enemy: While the middle episodes focus on their bitter feud, the final episode highlights the real-life shift in Senna and Alain Prost's relationship, culminating in their reconciliation before the 1994 San Marino race.
- Obstructive Bureaucrat: The series heavily leans into this interpretation for the head of FIA Jean-Marie Balestre, to the point of serving as something of a secondary antagonist (after Alain Prost), constantly manipulating the rules in detriment of Senna, seemingly with the intent to favor Prost.
- The Rival: Alain Prost is depicted as Senna's main rival in F1, with "The Professor's" calculating style standing in direct opposition to Senna’s raw emotion.
- Wet Blanket Wife: In the early episodes, Senna’s first wife, Lilian de Vasconcelos, is shown struggling with his absolute obsession with racing, which eventually leads to their marriage breaking down.