Naman Shrestha
Based on the life and career of the Brazilian Formula One racing driver Ayrton Senna de Silva, Netflix’s ‘Senna’ is a Brazilian biographical drama series created by Vicente Amorim. Focused on the legendary career of Senna, the show showcases the dramatized version of the racer’s roots and the struggles he went through to win the Formula One World Drivers’ Championship three times. Besides his professional glory, important aspects of his personal life are also highlighted.
Led by the compelling performance of Gabriel Leone, who portrays Senna, the sports series also consists of other talented actors, including Kaya Scodelario, Matt Mella, Patrick Kennedy, Arnaud Viard, Steven Mackintosh, Camila Márdila, and Susana Ribeiro. The seemingly authentic visuals and multiple racing tracks take us back to the era during which Senna made a deep impact in the world of Formula One, while questions about the actual locations are naturally raised.
Senna Filming Locations
Given the global impact and popularity of the titular Formula One driver, it is only fitting that the production of ‘Senna’ is also a global affair, with shooting taking place in Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and the United Kingdom. Specifically, the biographical series is shot in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, the Buenos Aires Province, and Ireland. Principal photography for the show reportedly got underway in June 2023 and wrapped up after five months or so in November of the same year. Reports suggest that the filming unit paid a visit to more than a dozen race tracks across the above-mentioned destinations in order to replicate actual circuits in which Senna raced.
Buenos Aires Province, Argentina
To begin the production of ‘Senna,’ the filming unit set up camp in the Buenos Aires Province, the largest and most populous Argentinian province. The eponymous city serves as one of the primary production locations, as the Oscar y Juan Gálvez racing track is utilized for lensing pivotal racing sequences. Moreover, situated near Balcarce, the Juan Manuel Fangio circuit and the nearby karting track hosted the production of the Netflix series.
Reportedly, another significance of the town of Balcarce is that most of the cars used in the production were built there. The production team also takes over another couple of Argentinian cities in the Buenos Aires Province — La Plata and Mar del Plata. The San Cayetano circuit, which is situated in the small town of San Cayetano, also turns into a filming site for shooting certain sequences.
Brazil
For shooting purposes, the filming unit of ‘Senna’ also sets up camp in São Paulo, the capital of the eponymous Brazilian state. In particular, they took advantage of the facilities of a virtual production studio, where 98 cars were reproduced and several sporting scenes were shot while the state-of-the-art screens displayed realistic images of races. Even the effects of accelerations, turns, and vibrations are made possible through a mobile platform in the studio.
The showrunner, Vicente Amorim, explained the process during a conversation with Grand Prix News, “This setup frees their creativity. Everything they see corresponds to what is happening in the scene. A car emerges behind them, wants to overtake them… They fully immerse themselves in the role of the drivers and experience all the intensity of the moment. The aim is to get as close as possible to their sensations.” With the help of the same effects, the sequence of Ayrton Senna’s fatal crash was recreated from inside the cockpit. In addition, some portions of the series are also taped in the municipality of Angra dos Reis, located in the southern part of Rio de Janeiro.
Other Locations
Additional portions for ‘Senna’ are recorded in another South American destination — Uruguay. To be specific, the production team utilizes the premises of the Víctor Borrat Fabini racing track, which is situated at 637H+XCJ, 15800 Ciudad de la Costa in Departamento de Canelones, to lens important scenes. As for the sequence involving the famous 1984 Monaco Grand Prix, it was reportedly taped at a disused airport in the capital of Uruguay — Montevideo.
Several key sequences are also shot across the United Kingdom, including the Republic of Ireland. In an interview with Motorsport, the production designer Frederico Pinto revealed, “On many occasions we filmed the same circuit in two different countries. It was a great team effort between the direction, art, photography and VFX departments, as well as rigorous decoupage of each scene to put together this great puzzle.”
Read More: Why Did Ayrton Change His Name to Senna From Da Silva?
