I mentioned last month that the 6 part ‘Senna’ mini-series is now on Netflix and having now had a chance to watch it, I definitely give it the thumbs up.
Produced by Brazilian studio Gullane Entretenimento in collaboration with the Senna family, the series follows Senna’s life from the beginning of his racing career in karting to his untimely death at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. Emphasis is paid to Senna’s relationship with his family and girlfriend Xuxa Meneghel, his rivalry with Alain Prost, feud with the FIA president Jean-Marie Balestre and his complex relationship with the sensationalist racing media.
The series has received mixed reviews from critics, who praised Gabriel Leone performance starring as Senna, the production design, and the racing scenes, but criticised the character development, historical inaccuracies, and perceived bias.
Here is a quick look behind the scenes of the making of ‘Senna’:
Senna | Behind the Scenes | Netflix
Certainly, the production standards for the Senna series are second to none and when you watch it, if you’re a true F1 fan, you can’t help but wonder where they got the cars from.
Senna | Making the Cars | Netflix
As an aside, it’s interesting to note that acclaimed F1 designer Adrian Newey was the Chief Designer for Williams at the time of Senna’s death and in this ‘High Performance’ interview he talks about working with Ayrton Senna and that period in his life after Sennas crash where he had manslaughter charges hanging over him.
Adrian Newey On Senna’s Crash & His Manslaughter Charge – High Performance