Netflix is making a miniseries about Ayrton Senna, the famed Brazilian racing driver who died tragically in a car accident at the San Marino Grand Prix in 1994.
The eight-episode fictional miniseries is based on Senna’s life and will be made with active involvement from his family. The 34-year-old, whose full name was Ayrton Senna da Silva, was known for having won the Formula One World Drivers’ Championship three times.
Exploring Senna’s family relationships and “the man behind the national hero,” the series will offer a more personal look at his life. It will be filmed in both English and Brazilian Portuguese and is set to launch in 2022.
The yet-untitled series is produced by Brazil’s Gullane and will be shot at international locations as well as the house where he grew up in the Brazilian state of São Paulo.
“It is very special to be able to announce that we will tell the story that only a few people know about him. The Senna family is committed in making this project something totally unique and unprecedented. And no one better than Netflix, that has a global reach, to be our partner,” said the driver’s sister, Viviane Senna.
“Senna started his journey in São Paulo and conquered the world, we are honored to take his inspiring journey to all his fans, wherever they are. Ayrton Senna has a legacy that spans generations and boundaries and Netflix is proud to take this new look at the man behind the driver to subscribers in more than 190 countries,” said Maria Angela de Jesus, director of original international productions at Netflix in Brazil.
“Senna is the type of person we need. A young man that fought for his dream and faced many obstacles in order to represent a nation. Senna unites Brazil,” said Fabiano and Caio Gullane.
Watch a quick teaser for the miniseries below.
🇬🇧 Big news today: Netflix, in partnership with Gullane and Senna Brands, is adapting the story behind the national hero and world idol of Formula 1, Ayrton Senna, in an 8-chapters miniseries #sennananetflix pic.twitter.com/h19NWBiuhE
— Senna (@ayrtonsenna) September 3, 2020