Ayrton Senna became a three-time Formula 1 champion because he was never afraid to force himself or his car to new limits—despite the deadly risks.
“Every time I push, I find something more, again and again. But there is a contradiction,” the driver once said. “The same moment that you become the fastest, you are enormously fragile. Because in a split-second, it can be gone. All of it. These two extremes contribute to knowing yourself, deeper and deeper.”
The life and career of the introspective yet fearless racing star are examined in the new Netflix limited series Senna. Starring Gabriel Leone as the titular Brazilian driver, the show takes a dramatized look at the feats that made Senna a fierce rival on the track and a beloved hero away from it.
Sadly, the talented Senna—who raced to 65 pole positions and 41 grand prix wins in his short career—couldn’t outrun danger forever. He died at age 34 from injuries sustained in a 1994 crash. But as much as Senna meant to racing while alive, his tragic death ultimately marked a crucial turning point for F1 and the safety of its drivers.
Senna quickly became a racing phenom
Born Ayrton Senna da Silva in São Paulo, Brazil, in March 1960, Senna seemed destined for racing greatness from an early age. According to his F1 profile, he received his first miniature go-kart from his father at age 4. Nicknamed “Beco,” the aspiring driver won his first-ever kart race at age 13. In his early 20s, Senna moved to Great Britain, where he won multiple open-wheel racing championships. Despite pressure to return to Brazil and begin working for his family’s business, Senna vowed to pursue an F1 career.
His dream came true in 1984, when he made his series debut and finished second to Alain Prost at the Monaco street course. This marked the start of an intense rivalry between the two drivers, who won a combined six series championships over the next nine years.
Senna became known for his trademark green, yellow, and blue helmet, with its colored stripes representing the driver’s concentration and focus. He is also responsible for one of the most iconic moments in series history, passing multiple drivers on the opening circuit of the rain-soaked 1993 European Grand Prix. His dramatic drive to the front is now known as the “Lap of the Gods.”
Senna won championships in 1988, 1990, and 1991. After Prost announced his retirement following the 1993 season, Senna saw an opportunity to become the best once again.
Another fatal crash preceded Senna’s death
F1 announced a series of rule changes for 1994, including a ban on electronic aids like anti-lock braking and traction control. Although it’s unclear exactly how much these adjustments affected drivers and their cars, they were an unfortunate precursor to one the darkest weekends in F1 history that same year at the San Marino Grand Prix in Imola, Italy.
During a Friday practice session, rookie Rubens Barrichello took too much speed into a corner and hit a curb, launching his car into a tire barrier and causing it to land upside-down. Barrichello was found unconscious and not breathing properly. Thanks to the quick work of the safety team on site, the driver was back at the track the following day with a broken nose and cracked ribs but alive.
Austrian rookie Roland Ratzenberger wasn’t as fortunate. In Saturday qualifying, the 33-year-old lost control of his car due to a suspected front wing failure and hit a retaining wall at roughly 190 mph, killing him instantly. His death was the first at a grand prix since 1982.
According to ESPN, the crash left Senna distraught. Speaking with the tearful driver, F1 doctor Sid Watkins suggested he retire from the sport that same day. “I cannot quit. I have to go on,” Senna responded.
The Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, a trade union of F1 drivers, began pursuing driver safety improvements on May 1, 1994, the morning of the San Marino race. Senna was chosen as director, but sadly was never able to contribute to the effort.
Brazil and the racing world mourned Senna’s death
On lap 7 of the grand prix, Senna lost control of his car in the left-handed Tamburello corner and struck a concrete barrier. Watkins rushed to the grisly scene: A piece of the car’s suspension had pierced Senna’s helmet, and it was clear the driver suffered unsurvivable head injuries.
Despite the accident, the race continued with Michael Schumacher eventually winning. Senna was flown to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead hours later.
“Everybody asked me what my emotion was,” Watkins said in 2001. “My emotion was that I hadn’t bullied him enough [into retiring]. I so regretted that I hadn’t really bullied him.”
Brazil declared national mourning for three days and provided Senna a state funeral. According to Autoweek, an estimated 3 million people gathered along the streets of São Paulo to pay their respects as a fire truck transported the fallen driver’s coffin from the airport and into the city. Prost and Barrichello were among the racing dignitaries who attended the service. Senna is buried at the Morumbi Cemetery in São Paulo, with his epitaph reading: “Nothing can separate me from the love of God.”
Still reeling from the deadly events in Imola, F1 leadership was now determined to prevent future on-track tragedies.
Formula 1 made immediate track and car changes
Following Senna and Ratzenberger’s deaths, the Paris-based International Automobile Federation (more commonly known by its acronym, FIA) announced the start of an expert advisory safety committee led by Watkins. The organization introduced stricter speed limits on the pit lane and more stringent regulations for helmet design.
According to the FIA, computer analysis in 1994 identified 27 corners across F1 grade tracks that required modifications to reduce risk. By 1996, only two high-risk turns remained.
The cars underwent changes, as well. Two races after Imola, teams were required to modify their front wing endplates in an effort to reduce downforce and slow the vehicles.
Perhaps most importantly, the series began research and testing of the Head and Neck Support, or HANS, device. Created by Dr. Robert Hubbard, the implement helps stabilize drivers’ heads in the event of a crash—preventing injuries from severe whiplash to potentially fatal skull fractures. F1 mandated the device by 2003.
In the three decades since the deaths of Senna and Ratzenberger, there has only been one fatality in F1 championship competition: Jules Bianchi in October 2014 at the Japanese Grand Prix. The series’ efforts also marked the start of a safety revolution across other racing formats.
Drivers of the National Hot Rod Association, the governing body for drag racing in North America, began using the HANS device after Blaine Johnson’s death in 1996. Five years later, NASCAR mandated the instrument following Dale Earnhardt’s fatal crash in the 2001 Daytona 500 and Blaise Alexander’s deadly accident during a lower-level stock car race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Basilar skull fractures caused both fatalities.
Then in 2002, Indianapolis Motor Speedway became the first track to install SAFER barriers, or specialized steel and foam retaining walls that absorb energy in high-speed crashes, thus directing it away from drivers. The system is commonplace at facilities that host NASCAR and IndyCar events.
Senna is still revered around the world
Under Italian law, the Williams team that Senna drove for had to stand trial for manslaughter after his death. In December 1997, owner Frank Williams and other team members were acquitted. The case was later reopened, and according to Autoweek, the Italian Supreme Court determined in 2007 that a steering-column failure “caused by badly designed and badly executed modifications” was responsible for the accident. However, no arrests were made because the statute of limitations had expired.
The International Motorsports Hall of Fame posthumously inducted Senna in 2000. Then in 2009, a poll of 217 current and former drivers voted the Brazilian the greatest racer in Formula 1 history.
Senna still serves as an inspiration for the current era of F1 drivers. Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain has called the Brazilian a “genuine hero” and has worn special tribute helmets honoring the driver multiple times during his career. The Brazilian government even granted Hamilton honorary citizenship in November 2022 for his racing success there and appreciation of Senna.
Meanwhile, Senna’s legacy in his home country goes far beyond sports. Prior to his death, the 34-year-old had donated millions to help underprivileged children in Brazil. In November 1994, members of his family formed the Instituto Ayrton Senna, which continues to raise money for educational opportunities for Brazilian youth.
“Ayrton was no ordinary person,” former F1 Team Principal Frank Williams said. “He was actually a greater man out of the car than in it.”
Watch Senna on Netflix Now
Showrunner Vicente Amorim and the cast and crew of Senna underwent painstaking efforts to recreate the perilous racing the famed driver experienced. According to a behind-the-scenes video from Netflix, Argentinian manufacturer Crespi Automotive helped the production team build 22 replicas of cars Senna and his competitors raced.
Additionally, star Gabriel Leone—who played another famous driver, Alfonso de Portago, in the 2023 biopic Ferrari—and other actors raced go-karts in training sessions to familiarize themselves with the speed and movements felt behind the wheel. “I have no doubt that it was the biggest challenge of my career, and the greatest honor as an actor, to be able to bring Ayrton Senna to life,” Leone said.
Senna debuted on Netflix November 29. Leone portrays the titular driver with Matt Mella appearing as rival racer Alain Prost and Kaya Scodelario playing fictional journalist Laura Harrison.
Tyler Piccotti joined the Biography.com staff as an Associate News Editor and is now the News and Culture Editor. He previously worked as a reporter and copy editor for a daily newspaper recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors. In his current role, he shares the true stories behind your favorite movies and TV shows and profiles rising musicians, actors, and athletes. When he's not working, you can find him at the nearest amusement park or movie theater and cheering on his favorite teams.
