Love Netflix's Drive To Survive? Catch this upcoming series about an F1 icon

Formula 1 has become a heck of a global sport in the last decade or so, not that it wasn't already plenty popular. A lot of observers have credited some of its rise to the enormous popularity of the behind-the-scenes series Drive to Survive on Netflix, too.

Now, the massive streamer is taking a different approach to the sport, with a high-budget dramatic series charting the life and times of Ayrton Senna, the hugely famous Brazilian driver and champion. Senna will debut on 29 December, and its first full trailer makes it clear that it should be an immediate hit with F1 fans.

Senna | Official Trailer | Netflix - YouTube

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The series will start Gabriel Leone as the man himself, and span six episodes in total, so it's something of a limited run, and probably won't usher in a new franchise (for obvious reasons given historical events). It'll tell the story of Senna's astonishing rise through the driving ranks, from his childhood to the tragic crash that killed him in 1994.

That'll chart some astonishing highs and his racing style, boldness and outspoken nature made him one of the most famous men in the world of sport, let alone just motor racing. It'll also show how much tension there was in the grid at that point, and just how dangerous racing used to be, in an era before the many safety regulations that have helped ensure that horror crashes are a much rarer sight nowadays.

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Netflix doesn't look like it's skimping on production costs, either – the trailer features multiple glimpses of race sequences that look incredibly impressive. We'll clearly get to see some of the most pivotal moments in Senna's title chases, dicing with other drivers and going wheel-to-wheel in even some of the most challenging conditions.

We'll also see plenty of his personal life, too, including relationships, his family life and the enduring connection to his home country of Brazil that he maintained throughout his career. It'll be fascinating to see how the show is paced, too – while Senna tragically died quite young, there's nonetheless a lot of ground to cover in just six episodes. With this series on the way, it looks certain that Netflix is still the best streaming service for F1 fans.