Thirty years ago, at the San Marino Grand Prix, the three-time Brazilian Formula 1 champion Ayrton Senna He crashed into the treacherous Tamburello curve and succumbed to his injuries, tragically dying at the age of 34, at the height of his victorious career on the track. Idol of a nation, the São Paulo native will be lived by Gabriel Leone in the miniseries Sennawhich arrives this year in Netflix — and the first teaser was revealed this week. To play Senna, Leone — who recently played fellow driver Alfonso de Portago in Ferrari — faced extensive preparation inside and outside the cockpit.
In an interview with VEJA at the premiere of Ferrari in Brazil, the actor revealed that he was put behind the wheel to get used to the world of speed. “The most important experience for me was being in the car. For Senna, we also had a lot of preparation in karts, which is where he started driving. These are experiences that bring a property to that universe, with the engine, the noise, the helmet, the gloves and the steering itself”, he explained, also mentioning the heat inside the cars and the adrenaline of competitive driving.
Born in July 1993, Leone was just nine months old when Senna died, but, like many Brazilians, he grew up surrounded by the three-time champion’s almost legendary stories. “I have childhood memories of Senna, and then Rubinho, mainly because of my parents. But I didn’t have in-depth knowledge of F1”, he said in a previous interview with VEJA. To prepare for the role, he, who now declares himself a fan of the sport, immersed himself in the automobile universe — he read biographies, old interviews and watched several of the Brazilian driver’s races. A native of Rio, he also had to train Senna’s São Paulo accent for months to reproduce it naturally on screen.
An original Netflix production, the miniseries divided into six chapters will cover the life of the pilot at the beginning of his career automobile industry, when he moves to England to compete in Formula Ford, until his tragic death in Italy. With a large crew and cast, the series had scenes recorded in Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil and the United Kingdom, and has no set premiere date — but will arrive on the platform later this year.
