May 1 marks a sad anniversary in the world of motor racing: the death of Brazilian race driver Ayrton Senna, in 1994. On November 29, Netflix's upcoming series on the late Formula 1 star will finally hit the airwaves.
The series runs for six episodes and covers the triple F1 world champion's international career, from the moment he moved to the UK to race in Formula Ford up until his untimely death.
Netflix is collaborating with Brazilian production company Gullane to create the series, which is directed by Brazilian directors Vicente Amorim and Julia Rezende.
Brazilian actor Gabriel Leone plays the lead role. The cast also includes Matt Mella as Alain Prost, Senna's great rival in the late 80s and early 90s. Johannes Heinrichs as Niki Lauda, Patrick Kennedy as Ron Dennis, Leon Ockenden as James Hunt, Steven Mackintosh as Frank Williams, and Alice Wegmann as Lilian Vasconcelos, Ayrton Senna's first wife, are also in the cast.
It’s a safe bet the ratings for this series will be monstrous. In addition to today's Formula 1 fans who will be glued to their screens, many older fans will want to rediscover an era when F1 was more captivating and its characters more authentic.
Comparisons will inevitably be made with the Brad Pitt Formula 1 movie currently in preparation. That feature film is expected next year.
In the meantime, we look forward to Senna, as of November 29.