What you should know about the real-life racing driver behind the Netflix drama “Senna.”

The new Netflix drama miniseries Senna, The film, which premiered on November 29th, is based on the extraordinary life of Brazilian racing driver Ayrton Senna da Silva. The six-episode drama is the first look at his personal and professional life, giving viewers insight into his many struggles on and off the track.

Brazilian actor Gabriel Leone (Ferrari) delivers a fantastic performance as Senna, capturing how hard he worked and how much he sacrificed to be the best of the best.

The Netflix miniseries takes the viewer back to his childhood, after his time as a kart driver, to the beginning of his career, when he moved to England with his then wife to compete in Formula Ford, and then takes the viewer along to those tragic events Day in Imola, Italy as he took part in the San Marino Grand Prix.

He came from a close family who affectionately gave him the nickname Beco. He was born in São Paulo, Brazil, in 1960. At the age of 13, he had already made a name for himself in go-kart racing when he won the 1977 South American Kart Championship. He then came second. Participated in the 1979 and 1980 World Championships.

Senna moved to England in 1981 to compete in Formula Ford and later Formula 3. By 1984 he had secured a place in Formula 1 and raced at that level for a decade. He drove for Toleman Motorsport, Lotus, McLaren and Williams. In total, between 1984 and his fatal accident in 1994, he won three world championships, 65 pole positions and 80 podiums.

At the time of his death, Senna held the record for most pole positions. He won 41 Grand Prix in 11 seasons. Many say that to this day he is the best racing driver of all time.

The script series describes his path to becoming world champion in his sport and his love for cars and women. He was married to Lilian de Vasconcelos (Alice Wegmann) very early in his career, but the marriage did not survive his ambitions.

The handsome Formula 1 racer had other love affairs, including one with the Brazilian television presenter Xuxa (Pâmela Tomé), who caused a media stir at the time. The series details their shared pursuit of being the best in their fields, which led to problems in their relationship.

Xuxa was equally famous and successful herself. She built the largest Latin and South American children’s entertainment empire and was extremely successful in the early 1990s with television series that aired in Brazil, Argentina, Spain and the United States. In total, their broadcasts reached 100 million viewers per day. As a singer, she has sold more than 30 million records, making her the best-selling Brazilian singer.

A fictional character created for the series is reporter Laura Harrison. Portrayed by Kaya Scodelario (The gentlemen), she moves the story and helps the viewer get into Senna’s head by interviewing him after each race and giving him great advice between races.

In addition to his first wife and former girlfriend, other real characters in the series include his sister Viviane Senna (Camila Márdila), his friend Maurinho (Christian Malheiros), his rival Alain Prost (Matt Mella) and his father “Miltão” da Silva (Marco Ricca), his mother Neyde “Zaza” Senna (Susana Ribeiro), McLaren team boss Ron Dennis (Patrick Kennedy), the Brazilian sports announcer Galvão Bueno (Gabriel Louchard), the Brazilian driver Nelson Piquet (Hugo Bonemer) and the Brazilian television presenter and Senna’s last friend Adriane Galisteu (Julia Foti).

It was May 1, 1994 and Senna was just 34 years old when he died in a fatal accident on the racetrack when the right front wheel of his car shot up on impact and smashed into the car’s cockpit. It hit the right front part of his helmet violently and pushed his head back against the headrest, causing fatal skull fractures.

There was debate as to whether he died immediately; Medical experts could not confirm this. They agreed that he would have been severely disabled had he survived due to the severe brain damage.

Shortly before his last race, Senna expressed safety concerns. After his death, the FIA ​​(Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, Formula 1’s governing body) revised its safety regulations. This happened not only after Senna’s death, but also after the death of Austrian driver Roland Ratzenberger the day before.

The FIA ​​immediately identified and removed the riskiest corners on each circuit and added safety barriers and speed limits in the pit lane. Over the next 30 years, the FIA ​​added strict safety equipment, including roll bars on cars, a head and neck restraint, and improved helmets. And the Formula 1 drivers re-established their union, the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association.

Senna was driving a Williams FW16 when he crashed and was leading the race at the time of the impact. So many people loved Senna and the grief was felt worldwide. About 3 million people attended his funeral. He is buried in the Morumbi Cemetery in Sao Paulo.

In the highly competitive and extremely dangerous world of Formula 1, serious accidents inevitably occur. Fellow driver Erik Comas has credited Senna with saving his life after an accident during practice for the 1992 Belgian Grand Prix. Comas had crashed his Ligier at Blanchimont and was unconscious when Senna stopped his McLaren and helped him while other drivers raced on.

This was just one example of Senna’s kindness. He had acquired an enormous fortune over the years, and after his death it was revealed that he had donated around $400 million to various children’s charities. He was humble and kept his contributions private.

Senna comes from producers Fabiano Gullane and Caio Gullane. Gustavo Bragança was the main author, alongside writers Álvaro Campos, Gustavo Bragança, Rafael Spínola, Thais Falcão and Álvaro Mamute. Vicente Amorim served as showrunner and director along with fellow directors Vicente Amorim and Júlia Rezende.

Senna is a must. It’s a story of perseverance, triumph and the sacrifices it takes to win. Although this story is set in the world of Formula 1, it is intended for anyone who has ever dreamed of being the best.