THE 'SENNA' EFFECT

THIS SLEEPER DOCUMENTARY IS THE POWDER KEG OF F1'S U.S. RENAISSANCE.

-  J.F. MUSIAL

IN 2023, THE U.S. will host three Formula 1 grands prix: Austin, Miami, and Las Vegas. That’s the most in a single year for America and the most ever in a season for any country. Some believe F1 finally entered the American mainstream thanks to Netflix’s Drive to Survive, but the increased visibility started years earlier.

Everything was stacked against American F1 fans 30 years ago. From the mid-Eighties to the late Nineties, races weren’t always broadcast in real-time. Unless you had connections like David Letterman, who would drive to ESPN’s Connecticut headquarters to watch F1 races live off the satellite feed, enthusiasts often had to settle for 20-minute highlight reels.