Series Review: Senna A story of overcoming adversity
Senna follows the story of Ayrton Senna, a former F1 driver who lost his life at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, changing safety regulations for F1 forever. Photo Credit: Netflix
By Karla Manzanares
30 years after the 1994 crash at the San Marino Grand Prix, Netflix released a biographical drama documenting the life of renowned Formula One (F1) driver, Ayrton Senna, who lost his life that day.
Whether you're a fan of motorsports or you’ve never watched a race in your life, this limited series is the perfect introduction to the world of motor racing and the hurdles it takes to reach the pinnacle of motorsport.
“Senna,” directed by Vicente Amorim and Júlia Rezende, is a six-episode mini series that delves into the Brazilian’s struggle to become one of the 20 best drivers in the world. The biopic follows the story of Senna, played by Gabriel Leone, from his karting days to his avoidable crash on that fateful day in Imola.
The series is considered to be the most expensive Brazilian television series and is expected to have cost Netflix $170 million to produce. With a large Brazilian cast, it became the first Senna adaptation to be filmed in Portuguese and English. This is historic, not just the Brazilian community, but also for the Latinx community as a whole. The success of this series will reinforce the idea that bilingual shows with a predominantly Latinx cast and crew can be profitable and worth investing in.
An interesting aspect that the series covers is Senna’s identity and how this frames his relationship with the people around him. While the series is certainly adding a more humble view on the racer, it is no secret that racing is an expensive sport. F1 drivers are not unlikely to succeed without some sort of financial backing, and it is made apparent that Senna came from a wealthy family. Despite this privilege, he still had to overcome blatant xenophobia in the press and favoritism toward European drivers throughout his career.
Senna’s legacy is remarkably shaped by his commitment to advocating for safety regulations in F1. While driving 200 mph can never be considered perfectly safe, it is still the responsibility of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) to make the race as safe as possible. Sadly, the 1994 season was riddled with crashes and a lack of safety regulations. Senna spent that season trying to revive the F1 drivers’ union in order to petition for added safety measures, but no changes were made.
During what would be his last race weekend, fellow driver Roland Ratzenberger died due to unsafe track conditions during qualifying. Senna tried to petition the FIA to cancel the race, but his request was discarded.
The day following Ratzenberger’s death, Senna faced the same fate.
Senna died on May 1, 1994. At the time of his death, he had successfully won three world championships, made 80 podium appearances and earned 65 pole positions.
While the regulations Senna championed weren’t implemented during his time racing, his death brought a complete overhaul of safety regulations. Over the next 30 years, new safety barriers were added, pit lane speed limits were introduced and cars were redesigned with an emphasis on safety rather than aesthetics.
While Senna’s impact on F1 safety is commonly talked about, there is no denying that his racing skills, mentality and drive immortalized him as one of the greatest racing drivers of all times. To this day, there are still millions of fans who show up at the Brazilian Grand Prix to celebrate his legacy.
Netflix’s “Senna” portrayed certain events with rose-colored glasses, but it nevertheless masterfully told Ayrton Senna’s story to a new generation. This show is a must-watch for anyone looking for inspiration to pursue their dreams.
Ayrton Senna once said, “If a person has no dreams, they no longer have any reason to live. Dreaming is necessary, although in the dream reality should be glimpsed. For me this is a principle of life.”
