Netflix has announced a new Formula 1 project based on the life of three-times world championship Ayrton Senna.
The streaming service, which is current filming its third series of F1 documentary “Drive to Survive”, will launch an eight-part series about the Brazilian hero in 2022.Netflix described the forthcoming series as a “fictional drama”. Its story will span Senna’s arrival in Britain as a 21-year-old in Formula Ford 1600, to his death during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix at the age of 34.
Producers Gullane, working with the approval of Senna Brands, have been granted “unprecedented access” to film in the house where Senna spent his childhood. The rest of the series will be filmed in a variety of international locations.
“It is very special to be able to announce that 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.”
Netflix said the series “will give fans the chance to cross the finish line not with Senna, but with Beco or Becão, the driver’s affectionate nicknames among friends and family.
“More than just remembering remarkable moments in his career, the miniseries is an invitation to explore the personality and family relationships of the three-time Formula 1 champion.”
Senna’s Formula 1 career was previously explored in the 2010 documentary “Senna”.
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theRealMax (@millionus)
3rd September 2020, 22:08
Errr, so is it true-to-life or fictional?
anon
3rd September 2020, 22:26
@millionus sounds more like what is sometimes termed “fraction”, where specific elements within the narrative are fictional, but it is intended to be set against a backdrop of factual events and often draws on real world events.
I can see that presenting some issues if that is the approach they are going for – it’s not as if there isn’t already a sizeable amount of blending of fact and fiction when it comes to figures like Senna, and I would not be surprised if this could end up perhaps creating even more myths around Senna as a result of setting certain fictional events against a backdrop of real world events.
David Not Coulthard (@davidnotcoulthard)
3rd September 2020, 23:29
@millionus life of brian on wheels?
Commentator’s box: “So James who do you think could possiby drive that mclaren faster in qualy than Aryton Senna?”
“Well my Biggus ****us of course!”
David Not Coulthard (@davidnotcoulthard)
3rd September 2020, 23:29
@millionus life of brian on wheels?
Commentator’s box: “So James who do you think could possiby drive that mclaren faster in qualy than Aryton Senna?”
“Well my Sch. Longus of course!”
Terg
4th September 2020, 4:45
Fiction? The Senna story is incredibly captivating as it is. It doesn’t need any fiction.
Graham (@guitargraham)
4th September 2020, 12:06
think bohemian rhapsody movie. the events are mostly true but with a few things mixed about and a few “composite” characters. hopefully the ballestre charcter has a white pussycat sat on his knee permanently.
H67
3rd September 2020, 22:13
The story is so important that the producers will snatch up a pile of loot
DAllein (@)
3rd September 2020, 23:03
Atrocious!
Netflix must go bankrupt
Dan (@canon1753)
4th September 2020, 0:07
Alain Prost looks on concernedly
Darryn Smith (@darryn)
4th September 2020, 3:47
That Senna movie using real footage and a narrator from a few years back was pure fiction. I don’t see how this could be worse. I just hope it isn’t like that with Senna taking the place of Jesus Christ. They guy was incredibly selfish and a menace on track. I would really like to see a warts and all representation of him, but I don’t think that is possible.
Darryn Smith (@darryn)
4th September 2020, 3:51
Although I kind of think Hamilton is the man he is today because of this idealized Senna that he grew up worshiping. A much better man in the end.
Jim
4th September 2020, 4:43
Senna 2010 was not fiction at all. It used real footage and presented it accurately.
anon
4th September 2020, 9:16
Jim, the footage might be real, but the way in which it is edited can play a considerable influence in the way it comes across to the public. There were some who felt that the way that the footage was edited and the context in which it was shown in that particular film presented Prost in a harsher light than was fair.
Nixica
4th September 2020, 9:37
Totally agree with this, it was very biased and left a few critical details out.
I always advise people to seek out the Sky Sports Alain Prost 1 hour special to balance it out and give Alain the chance!
tony mansell
4th September 2020, 9:52
Most of the mythologising of St Enna is done by people who were too young at the time to know all of his character, I include myself though I disliked him intensely, but only because my brother idolised him, not because of any rational understanding.
In the pre internet age and with woeful camera direction at circuits, a lot of his behaviour went relatively un noticed. He was no Schumacher but that fakeumentary presents him as a cross between Mother Theresa and God himself.
Ambrogio Isgro
4th September 2020, 12:11
“selfish”? It was a driver that competed to be the number one, of course he was selfish, as all the others multiple Champions drivers, like Piquet, Prost, Schumacher, Lauda, Hamilton, Vettel, etc.
“A menace on the track”, after the infamous incident in Suzuka ’90 he never caused incidents anymore. And before his behaviour was dangerous how many times? Two? Three?
Let’s compare it to Schumacher, Hamilton, Mansell, Villeneuve sr., Coulthard, Berger, Alesi, Vettel, Verstappen sr. and jr., Montoya, Alonso, etc.
All of them were menaces? No, they were just drivers and humans, and they did mistakes.
tony mansell
4th September 2020, 12:21
Now say that without crying Ambrogio
Probably Schumacher was worse, then its Senna and he really introduced the idea of crash or move out the way, certainly at the front of the grid. The rest of the names are just random and completely perplexing, perhaps the only drivers you know?
H67
4th September 2020, 4:09
The talk of the town is that Ben Affleck is high on the list of plausible candidates To play Sena. No comments are being made as of now.
Evi
4th September 2020, 4:44
I could not think of a more ill suited actor to play Senna than Batman,
Keith Campbell (@keithedin)
4th September 2020, 12:55
Agreed. I can’t help but cringe when I see a ‘big name’ actor who is completely ill-suited selected to play a real person. Surely they can find a Brazilian, or maybe Spanish/Portuguese actor who is fluent in the language to at least make it look and sound authentic, even if some parts are dramatized.
tony mansell
4th September 2020, 13:34
So, the English language that Senna spoke throughout his career in f1
NWPencrawler
4th September 2020, 6:41
If possible, they need to include Terry Fullerton in this story as Senna had no greater racing rival in his karting days. And Senna truly respected him as a racer.
NewVerstappenFan (@jureo)
4th September 2020, 8:16
If it’s well done, that could be a wonderful Series.
…. WAIT! Ben Affleck? !!?!? Damn.
rpaco
4th September 2020, 20:45
What a pity that the great John Candy is no longer with us.
jlb
4th September 2020, 9:34
Passing.
tony mansell
4th September 2020, 9:47
I thought they did that already, I think it was called ‘Senna’. Really good, some of it was actually quite close to the truth as well and the soundtrack was as good a film score as I’ve ever listened to.
thegamer23
4th September 2020, 17:51
That was a documentary.
This is going to be a TV serie with actors ecc.
Dale
5th September 2020, 0:47
Who else finds this announcement suspiciously on the same day that the Williams family suddenly announce they’re pretty much immediately leaving the team they recently sold?
Can we assume ep8 is going to end with the Senna crash, after seeing a depiction of the Williams team patching up damaged steering in his car? If the ‘fictional’ storyline is based on the rumours and accusations, & the new owners have a stake in this show, it could explain the sudden leaving of the family.