Even 30 years after his death, Ayrton Senna is a hero and idol in his native Brazil — and all over the globe. Three-time world champion and considered one of the greatest Formula 1 drivers in history, he inspired Brazilians who lived through his career peak in the 1980s and 1990s to wake up very early on Sundays to watch his races and feel a sense of pride about their country, winning over fans with his talent, determination, boldness, and sincerity.

The miniseries Senna, starring Gabriel Leone, follows Ayrton from his childhood, when he began to shine in karting in São Paulo, to his tragic accident in Imola in 1994, all the way through his achievements, rivalries, and struggles, with a more personal, less well-known side of the driver presented.

“He showed that if you go after your goal being self-disciplined, concentrated, and focused — you win a prominent place in any arena,” said Fabiano Gullane, who produced Senna with his brother Caio. 

The Gullanes were two of those fans who saw in Ayrton Senna the possibility of triumph for Brazilians worldwide. The driver served as inspiration for Gullane, the production company the two set up in 1996 which has 58 feature films and 53 series in its portfolio. 

For Caio and Fabiano, Senna — which was filmed in five countries, with post-production in four, plus a cast of 231 actors of 18 nationalities and a main crew of 2,206 people — is the chance to show that, in the television sector, Brazil is as ready to embark on projects with the same ambition, talent, and determination as the driver.

Caio and Fabiano reveal the goings-on behind the scenes and the challenges of making Senna.

An edited version of the conversation follows.

Senna producers Caio and Fabiano Gullane

Mariane Morisawa: You have been working on this project for a long time. What were the first inspirations for Senna?
Fabiano Gullane: In the early 2000s, we were at a very important moment for the production company, with the films Bicho de Sete Cabeças (2000), Carandiru (2003), and The Year My Parents Went on Vacation (2006). We always had the ambition to tell Brazilian stories for Brazil and the world and, thinking about what these stories would be, we obviously came across Ayrton Senna. We [developed] a very transparent, real, and deep relationship with the Senna family. In principle, we intended to make a large, ambitious world-class feature film. The Senna family asked for this. During this process, streaming platforms arrived in Brazil. We thought it would be better to make a series. And we are proud to say that Netflix also saw the potential that we saw in Senna.

Caio Gullane: We always understood that, for it to be an official project, we should be alongside the family. For years the family has been sought out by many international talents and gigantic communications groups. It has always been important for us to produce in Brazil, with Brazilian talent. This was music to the ears of the [Brazilian charitable organization named in his honor] Ayrton Senna Institute and has to do with Ayrton’s own history, which greatly valued Brazil’s potential. 

The series is coming out in the year of the 30th anniversary of Ayrton’s death. How important is it that Senna is being launched now?
CG: Even 30 years after his death, Senna is very much alive. He is a national hero. Just look at the various initiatives celebrating Ayrton. 

FG: The world feels very polarized at the moment. And Senna, throughout his life, sought to connect people. We really hope that this series will aim more for convergence than divergence, more for union than disunity. 

What does Ayrton Senna mean to you personally?
FG: Senna has always been a point of reference for us. He brought to Brazil, to the world, and to us personally the capacity to dream, to make your dream come true, to believe that your dream can actually come true. We are part of a generation who have been working towards structuring our industry and the audiovisual market, as well as our presence in Brazil and the international market. We hope that Senna will launch a new cycle in the Brazilian audiovisual sector. So that the world can look at Brazil and see what this country is capable of. 

CG: When I was very young and saw Ayrton racing, I felt this sense of power in our country. Brazil usually consumes a lot of international products, in other languages in the case of cinema, or admires athletes from other countries. Senna awakened this national spirit. For us, as a Brazilian production company that also seeks to expand frontiers, he was an inspiration. I identify myself a lot with Senna because, when he had the right car, he won all his Grand Prix races. With the right conditions, we will be right up there with the big global productions.

Alain Prost (Matt Mella) and Ayrton Senna (Gabriel Leone)

Senna is one of the greatest Brazilian productions. Despite the good experiences you had, what were the challenges?
CG: From the beginning, we understood that producing the story was going to be a complex task. As soon as we realized that it would be unfeasible to take such a large circus for a series like this around the world, we began searching for locations in South America, to be closer to Brazil. We ended up filming mainly between Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay. The architecture of Argentina and Uruguay is very Europeanized, so we were able to reproduce many international scenes. In Argentina, we found a company to build the 22 replica racing cars. The Buenos Aires racetrack served as our open-air studio. But we faced many challenges and, therefore, a lot of learning. We were open to understanding how to film high-speed racing car performances and how to work with digital special effects to match what was filmed. This learning is a legacy that remains for Brazil. Netflix is holding a workshop for companies linked to special effects in Brazil in which we will talk about our experience in Senna, precisely because there was a learning experience. 

FG: Scanline, which has offices in the United States and Canada, took over management of the special effects, with technical supervision by the Brazilian Marcelo Siqueira. We asked them to subcontract some Brazilian companies to pass on this technology directly. It worked very well. 

CG: They commented that they had rarely seen such an organized production. This was thanks to our artistic team, who worked on this equation of viability. When Scanline received this material, they understood that we knew what we wanted. What they brought were tools and know-how to make what had been created viable. It’s nice to show the world that we’re ready. 

With so many people from different countries, what was the atmosphere like on set?
CG: We had actors from nine countries, but our protagonist, Gabriel Leone, is Brazilian. Gabriel’s professionalism was remarkable. He was the first to arrive and the last to leave. In every scene, he knew his lines, everyone else’s, and the tone. His dedication inspired the whole international cast. On our main film set, no actors stayed inside their trailer. At lunchtime, it was [Matt Mella as Alain] Prost playing tambourine, another playing ukulele. There we realized that things were going well. It’s a little bit of our Brazilianness, combined with talent and dedication.

It is always difficult to interpret an idol like Ayrton Senna, who was also so well documented in images. Why was Gabriel Leone the right actor for the role?
FG: He has this physique du rôle that naturally reminds us of Senna, that more laid-back way that Senna had, but he is also able to explode when he needs to. We felt the connection, but we needed to show it to the world. We called Gabriel and told him he needed to take a test. He placed his hand on his chest and said, “I’ll do as many tests as you need, Senna is mine.” When he was officially invited, he was given access to the private lives of the Senna family and Senna himself. The whole world has Senna’s public image. But only this series has the intimate, inside view. Gabriel dove in to build his Senna character. 

CG: The dedication Gabriel has shown from the moment he became an option was very impressive. He’s younger, so he didn’t live the experience of Senna himself. But his father was a fan, so in a way, that myth lived in his home. 

Behind the scenes with Gabriel Leone as Ayrton Senna