Senna Stars Again

The worldwide fascination with Ayrton Senna is reflected in plans for an upcoming eight-episode mini-series from Netflix.

It’s hard to imagine anything that will be better than the landmark documentary film, Senna, which won a string of awards after its release in 2010.

Even so, Netflix is going all-out and has direct support from the Senna family that will give it very special access including the home where he grew up in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The new production is set to air in 2022 and will follow Senna from the time he arrived in England from Brazil to chase his grand prix dream until his death in a crash at Imola in 1984.

“We will tell the story that only a few people know about him,” said Viviane Senna, Ayrton’s sister.

“The Senna family is committed in making this project something totally unique and unprecedented.”

Early information on the new project comes as there is growing interest in films and documentaries based on motorsport and its heroes.

A biopic movie on Enzo Ferrari is in the works and Rush, the story of Niki Lauda and James Hunt in 1986, has been a huge success.

The same is true of Drive to Survive, the fly-on-the-wall F1 series which has been a huge hit and is into its third season, although the same cannot be said of the miserable Brock mini-series from 2016.

There is no detail yet on the mechanics of the Senna mini-series, and whether it will be a pure documentary or use actors to re-create episodes of the story, although the promise is a deep dive into his personality, family relationships and motorsport career.