Our racing heroes aren’t marble statues, frozen in perfection.
They’re flesh and blood, full of contradictions and complexities that make them human.
Ayrton Senna – three-time Formula 1 world champion, ruthless competitor, devout Catholic, and secret philanthropist – embodied these contradictions more than most. Yet Netflix’s new series SENNA, which opens with the Brazilian’s fatal crash at Tamburello corner, seems more interested in crafting legend than exploring the man.
This narrative choice – beginning where Senna’s story ends – exemplifies both the strengths and limitations of Netflix’s latest venture into motorsport storytelling. The streaming giant that transformed Formula 1’s cultural footprint through Drive to Survive now aims to shape how new fans understand the sport’s history. The result is visually stunning yet spiritually incomplete.
Netflix spared no expense in recreating Senna’s racing machines. Argentine firm Crespis built 22 period-correct cars, from Formula Ford chassis to the fatal Williams FW16. Sound engineers spent 18 months capturing authentic engine notes from surviving examples. The racing sequences deliver visceral thrills through meticulous attention to detail.
But machinery forms only part of Senna’s story. The series struggles to capture the complexities of a man who saw racing as both spiritual calling and political act. His deep Catholic faith receives cursory treatment. His philanthropic work in Brazil emerges mainly through newspaper headlines. Even his notorious rivalry with Alain Prost feels sanitized, reduced to a simplistic hero-villain dynamic that does neither man justice.
The Netflix Effect
This glossing over of nuance reflects Netflix’s evolving strategy in sports storytelling. Drive to Survive demonstrated the commercial potential of packaging motorsport for mass consumption. FIA data confirms the “Netflix effect” – surging social media engagement, merchandise sales, and race attendance across markets both emerging and established.
That success spawned imitators. Tennis (Break Point), golf (Full Swing), and rugby (Full Contact) now receive similar documentary treatment. Yet none have matched Drive to Survive’s cultural impact. The difference lies partly in Formula 1’s inherent cinematographic appeal – the globe-trotting circus of speed provides natural drama. But it also stems from Netflix’s willingness to sacrifice depth for accessibility.
The Netflix effect could explain the thought process behind a lot of the story choices in SENNA. This quote by showrunner Vicente Amorim gives us some insight:
It becomes almost like an origin story for F1. You love ‘Drive to Survive’? You’re an F1 fan? You’re maybe thinking of watching the ‘F1’ movie next year? Maybe have a look at how it all started.
Racing Against History
SENNA exemplifies the trade-off necessary to create mainstream appeal.
Gabriel Leone delivers a charismatic central performance, capturing both Senna’s intense competitiveness and boyish charm. The production design masterfully evokes the technicolor excess of 1980s/90s Formula 1. Yet in smoothing Senna’s rough edges, in transforming a complicated man into an uncomplicated legend, the series diminishes what made him extraordinary.
The real Ayrton Senna contained multitudes – ruthless competitor and compassionate humanitarian, devout Catholic and occasional absolutist, proud Brazilian and citizen of the world. His fatal crash at Imola transformed him into a martyr figure. Netflix’s portrayal occasionally feels less like biography than hagiography.
In reality, Senna secretly donated approximately $400 million to children’s charities in Brazil. This is particularly striking because he kept these contributions private during his lifetime – they were only discovered after his death.
The Netflix series reduces this profound aspect of his character to brief glimpses of newspaper headlines and fleeting mentions, rather than exploring how his wealth and fame intersected with his desire to help Brazil’s impoverished children. This represents a missed opportunity to show a fuller picture of Senna’s character and his impact beyond racing.
Senna’s religious faith was also deeply intertwined with his racing in ways that were both profound and sometimes controversial. For example, at Monaco, Senna claimed to have seen a divine light shining from the sea while approaching Portier corner. And after winning his title at Suzuka, he reported seeing a vision of Christ during his victory lap around the Spoon Curve.
His rival Alain Prost was particularly troubled by how Senna’s religious conviction affected his driving philosophy. Prost has been quoted saying “Ayrton has a small problem, he thinks he can’t kill himself, because he believes in God.” This suggests Senna’s faith may have influenced his famously aggressive driving style.
This sanitization of Senna’s religious beliefs represents another example of how the series smooths over the more complex and potentially controversial aspects of his character in favor of a more straightforward narrative. The real Senna appears to have been a man whose Catholic faith wasn’t just a personal belief system but fundamentally shaped how he approached both racing and risk – an aspect of his character that deserved deeper exploration.
His philanthropic work wasn’t just an aside to Senna’s racing career either – it was fundamental to how he saw his role as Brazil’s most prominent sports figure. By relegating this to background newspaper clips, the series misses an opportunity to show how Senna’s success on the track translated into tangible benefits for his countrymen.
Perhaps this represents the inevitable cost of mainstreaming motorsport history. Drive to Survive succeeded by making Formula 1 digestible for casual viewers. SENNA applies the same template to the sport’s past, prioritizing emotional resonance over historical complexity.
The strategy works commercially. But it raises questions about responsibility to historical truth. In crafting mythology from memory, what essential truths get left on the cutting room floor? Netflix has mastered the art of making motorsport accessible. The challenge now lies in achieving that accessibility without sacrificing authenticity.
The streaming giant that revolutionized how new fans experience Formula 1 is now shaping how they understand its history. SENNA suggests that revolution comes with compromises – some necessary, others less so. The machinery proves perfect. The man himself remains tantalizingly out of reach.
