Gabriel Leone has been cast in the titular role for Netflix miniseries Senna, where he'll be playing the role of the beloved Formula 1 driver.
The Netflix miniseries "will portray the story of adventure and triumph of the man who became a Brazilian national hero", following the racing legend both on and off the track.
Now, we now who'll be portraying Ayrton Senna in the biopic series, with Netflix confirming that Brazilian actor and musician Gabriel Leone will be donning the overalls for the upcoming series.
Speaking about taking on the role, Gabriel Leone said: "It is a huge responsibility and also a great honor to be able to represent an icon who inspired so many people throughout his life, showing the world Brazilian sporting talent.
"Knowing that we will bring this story to millions of people in so many countries, through Netflix, inspires me to see this as one of the great roles of my career."
Confirming the news on social media, Netflix Brasil and Gabriel Leone shared an Instagram post which read: "Today national hero Ayrton Senna would turn 63 years old, and I came here to tell you that @leonegabriel is the one who will play him in Senna, the new fiction miniseries about the Formula 1 trichampion. Filming will start soon! 🏁🏎️"
Brazilian filmmaker Vicente Amorim serves as showrunner, who also directs the series with Julia Rezende. The series also has the support and participation of Senna's family.
Speaking about casting Gabriel, Vicente and Julia said: "Gabriel Leone has Senna's charisma, intensity, and gentleness. We were thrilled with how he brought Ayrton to life at his screen test. He is a Brazilian actor who is an emerging international star."
The series will be made up of six episodes, which will explore the personality and personal relationships of the three-time F1 champion, showing the trajectory of his triumphs, disappointments, joys and sorrows.
Netflix has confirmed it will pick up in the early days of Ayrton's motorsport career, when he moves to England to compete in the Ford Formula, concluding with the tragic accident in Imola, Italy, during the San Marino Grand Prix in 1994.
A release date for Senna has not been confirmed, but filming has commenced on the project.
