Senna review: The drama is by the numbers, but the racing is electric

This is perhaps because of Asif Kapadia's acclaimed 2010 documentary Senna, which took home two prizes at the BAFTAs, for Best Documentary and Best Editing.

However, it is also because he's seeped into the wider global cultural consciousness, in a manner which is usually only reserved for figures such as Senna, who died at a young age in tragic circumstances.

Nowhere is this more true than in Brazil, and it seems reasonable to say that admirers of Senna, both around the world but particularly in his home nation, will be watching Netflix's new six-part dramatisation of his life with a hopeful yet sceptical eye, to see that it does his legacy justice.

Many of them will be happy to know that right from the off, Senna has a hugely reverential tone in its depiction of the real-life figure.

The series, which was produced with the help of its subject's family, depicts Senna's journey from go-karting as a boy in Brazil to competing in Formula Ford in England.

It then charts his three Formula 1 championship wins, before he tragically died in an accident in Italy, during the San Marino Grand Prix.

At the start of his journey, he is the classic underdog - bullied and disparaged in England because of his Brazilian background, but always surprising people and surpassing their expectations.

This reverential tone may be welcomed by his die-hard fans, but for others it can somewhat diminish the show's dramatic stakes. Rarely is Senna himself out of line or in the wrong, and if he is it simply driven by his determination to fulfil his destiny.

Ferrari's Gabriel Leone does admirable work in bringing him to life and making him an engaging character, but this isn't a series which is hung up on depth, or breaking out of sports movie clichés.

It's a problem which persists throughout the drama and across all of the figures depicted - in fact, it's even more blatant when looking at the supporting characters.

The series is hyper-focused on Senna himself, which is understandable, but it means that everyone else is just a jigsaw piece in his life's story. They will often have one, maybe two defining personality traits, but for the most part they are blank canvases for Senna to interact with.

For instance, there is his rival, the French driver Alain Prost. The duo spar frequently, and the ongoing competition between them is clear, but beyond this little is known about Prost, his motivations, his own backstory, or even his wider feelings about Senna, beyond wanting to beat him.

Senna's family relationships are equally boilerplate. His father pushes him, but not in a way which is too hard or causes any real conflict. His mother misses him while she stays in Brazil, but comes to see him race on multiple occasions, and tells him how much she's rooting for him. Of course, this may well have been the case - it just doesn't make for particularly compelling drama.

Then, there's Laura, the fictional journalist played by Kaya Scodelario. She routinely pops up throughout the episodes to offer Senna some sage advice, and to act as a stand-in for any 'good journalists' who helped him on his way and believed in him from the start.

Again, Scodelario is giving a strong performance, her chemistry with Leone works, and the scenes help to provide exposition regarding Senna's own state of mind, as well as the state of the racing world in a wider sense at the time. It's just all about pushing the story along, there's no character depth or illuminating insight involved.

At this point, only three episodes have been made available for review, meaning it's unclear how the story will develop, beyond its tragic ending.

However, thus far everything in the series has played out incredibly traditionally, and with a sense that it's all been a bit sanitised. Even the breakdown of his marriage, prime real estate for drama, is skirted over fairly quickly.

Of course, the fact that the story is fairly traditional also makes it fairly watchable. There are the highs and lows of the sports drama format, and when you allow yourself to get wrapped up in them, they work. There's a real sense of joy whenever he wins a race or achieves a new milestone.

But given all of this, it might be assumed that the series doesn't work at all. Thankfully, this isn't the case, and there are three primary reasons why.

One, which has already been mentioned, is the likeable, impressive performance by Leone. He proves himself to be a strong leading man, selling the more emotional scenes and making his version of Senna utterly endearing.

The second reason is the visuals. The budget for the series hasn't been made public, but one would assume, purely based on the look of the show, that it is substantial.

It's the sort of work that Netflix used to be known for, and which sadly it has somewhat appeared to stray from in recent years as the streamer has shifted its focus, and Apple has appeared to take over the 'prestige' space.

Finally, there's one of the most important factors when talking about a racing drama - the races themselves.

Formula 1 isn't always the easiest sport to capture on film. Depicting the races themselves, and trying to get across a sense of the speed and peril, can be tricky and go one of two ways. Either, they come across as dull, lifeless and slow, or they can appear messy, janky and hard to follow.

That's very much not the case here. These races are propulsive, nail-biting and beautifully realised, with a real sense of the danger involved, but also Senna's expertise.

Even for those with little Formula 1 knowledge, it's made clear how and when techniques are being employed and how skilful, even artistic, the masterful driving is.

It has to be noted that, only three episodes in, there is still a lot to come. So much of the show's legacy will rest on how it dramatises and grapples with Senna's accident, which will be absolutely crucial to get right.

The third episode goes some way to pressing home how important he was and is to Brazil's national story, and it provides one of the strongest moments thus far, helping to pull some of themes together and lend more depth to an otherwise shallowly presented story.

However, at the halfway point it has to be said that Senna is not a surefire dramatic success. It's watchable, for sure, but by failing to get under the skin of its protagonist, or flesh out the characters of those around him, the series has been left slightly flat and predictable, only bolstered by a winning central performance and some terrific, electric race sequences.

Senna will stream on Netflix from Friday 29th November – sign up from £4.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.

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