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Formula 1
F1: SPEED Q&A - Bob Varsha Discusses Movie Senna
Bob Varsha, longtime voice of F1 on SPEED, shares his thoughts on the movie Senna...
SPEED F1 announcer Bob Varsha (Pictured) is skeptical about Formula One's presence in Bahrain. (Photo: SPEED)
SPEED FORMULA ONE VOICE, VARSHA, DISCUSSES MOVIE SENNA
After release in Europe, Senna, the movie based on the life of the late Brazilian Formula One superstar Ayrton Senna, now is playing in theaters across the United States.
Senna explores the life and career of the dynamic three-time Formula One world champion who was killed while leading the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix after a remarkable 10-year F1 career.
Bob Varsha, longtime voice of F1 on SPEED, shares his thoughts on the movie below:
On his overall impressions of the movie:
Varsha: “I think it does a wonderful job of capturing the complex character of Ayrton Senna. I've never met another person, athlete or otherwise, like him. You don't have to be a sophisticated fan of motorsports to see that he was incredibly talented, but also a unique and conflicted personality. I have described him to groups seeing the film for the first time as an imperfect man who may well have been the perfect racing driver. On the other hand, the knowledgeable fan will see the sport in an entirely different perspective thanks to the use of behind-the-scenes footage never shown before.”
On how well the movie accurately portrays Senna’s life and career:
Varsha: “You have to know going in that the film would probably not have been made without the support of the Senna family, particularly Ayrton's sister Vivianne, who provided interviews and access to family archives. It is, therefore, the story the family wanted told, with all the potential for a pro-Ayrton sentiment. For example, although the animosity between Senna and Alain Prost at McLaren is described, not shown is the critical race at Imola in 1989, in which an agreement between the teammates that one would not attack the other on the first lap was violated by Senna, which led to the split between them. Then again, I think anyone who followed Senna's career probably will find stories they would like to have seen included, such as his accident-prone years in the lower formulae, or his test in a Penske champcar, or his close relationship with F1 bad-boy Gerhard Berger. It just wasn't possible, I suppose, given the limitations of the format.”
On what role the film’s extensive racing footage plays:
Varsha: “The racing footage in all its noise and violence conveys the stark reality of the sport, then as now: racing cars can kill. The choice of the races included in the film, combined with Senna's comments away from the track, show that his deep spirituality and quest for perfection on the race track were two sides of the same coin: the faster he drove, the closer he felt to God, and the harder he felt compelled to try. But no one can have his foot flat to the floor for every second of every race, and when Dr. Sid Watkins recounts how Senna told him on that fateful 1994 weekend in Imola that he could not stop driving despite the awful carnage leading up to the race, you can understand Senna's destiny, whether it was at Imola or some other track.”
On whether the movie accurately demonstrates the racer’s star power and legend:
Varsha: “Absolutely. Senna was adored in lots of places other than his native Brazil. Japan, for example, in part because he raced with a Honda engine during some of his greatest years. The scenes at the Interlagos circuit when Senna finally, after years of trying, wins his home grand prix, are staggering in their emotion. The same goes for his return to Brazil after winning championships, and following his death in 1994.”
On what moviegoers most likely will take away from the movie:
Varsha: “F1 team owner Sir Frank Williams once said that the top drivers in F1 are bastards ‘because they have to be.’ Ernest Hemingway is reputed to have written that there are only three true sports: bullfighting, mountain climbing and motor racing. Motorsports at the highest level, like perhaps any other form of celebrity, can be a very heavy burden indeed. The difference between those other forms of celebrity and Hemingway's true sports, however, is the danger.”
After release in Europe, Senna, the movie based on the life of the late Brazilian Formula One superstar Ayrton Senna, now is playing in theaters across the United States.
Senna explores the life and career of the dynamic three-time Formula One world champion who was killed while leading the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix after a remarkable 10-year F1 career.
Bob Varsha, longtime voice of F1 on SPEED, shares his thoughts on the movie below:
On his overall impressions of the movie:
Varsha: “I think it does a wonderful job of capturing the complex character of Ayrton Senna. I've never met another person, athlete or otherwise, like him. You don't have to be a sophisticated fan of motorsports to see that he was incredibly talented, but also a unique and conflicted personality. I have described him to groups seeing the film for the first time as an imperfect man who may well have been the perfect racing driver. On the other hand, the knowledgeable fan will see the sport in an entirely different perspective thanks to the use of behind-the-scenes footage never shown before.”
On how well the movie accurately portrays Senna’s life and career:
Varsha: “You have to know going in that the film would probably not have been made without the support of the Senna family, particularly Ayrton's sister Vivianne, who provided interviews and access to family archives. It is, therefore, the story the family wanted told, with all the potential for a pro-Ayrton sentiment. For example, although the animosity between Senna and Alain Prost at McLaren is described, not shown is the critical race at Imola in 1989, in which an agreement between the teammates that one would not attack the other on the first lap was violated by Senna, which led to the split between them. Then again, I think anyone who followed Senna's career probably will find stories they would like to have seen included, such as his accident-prone years in the lower formulae, or his test in a Penske champcar, or his close relationship with F1 bad-boy Gerhard Berger. It just wasn't possible, I suppose, given the limitations of the format.”
On what role the film’s extensive racing footage plays:
Varsha: “The racing footage in all its noise and violence conveys the stark reality of the sport, then as now: racing cars can kill. The choice of the races included in the film, combined with Senna's comments away from the track, show that his deep spirituality and quest for perfection on the race track were two sides of the same coin: the faster he drove, the closer he felt to God, and the harder he felt compelled to try. But no one can have his foot flat to the floor for every second of every race, and when Dr. Sid Watkins recounts how Senna told him on that fateful 1994 weekend in Imola that he could not stop driving despite the awful carnage leading up to the race, you can understand Senna's destiny, whether it was at Imola or some other track.”
On whether the movie accurately demonstrates the racer’s star power and legend:
Varsha: “Absolutely. Senna was adored in lots of places other than his native Brazil. Japan, for example, in part because he raced with a Honda engine during some of his greatest years. The scenes at the Interlagos circuit when Senna finally, after years of trying, wins his home grand prix, are staggering in their emotion. The same goes for his return to Brazil after winning championships, and following his death in 1994.”
On what moviegoers most likely will take away from the movie:
Varsha: “F1 team owner Sir Frank Williams once said that the top drivers in F1 are bastards ‘because they have to be.’ Ernest Hemingway is reputed to have written that there are only three true sports: bullfighting, mountain climbing and motor racing. Motorsports at the highest level, like perhaps any other form of celebrity, can be a very heavy burden indeed. The difference between those other forms of celebrity and Hemingway's true sports, however, is the danger.”
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