Senna film set for autumn release

The film celebrating the life of the legendary Ayrton Senna is due to be released in cinemas this autumn.

Reports back in 2001 had suggested that a film starring the Spanish actor Antonio Banderas could be produced that would focus on the lead up to the incident at Imola where Senna lost his life, but those plans never came to fruition.

Instead, the film due for release later this year takes on the form of a documentary and will span Senna's F1 career, from his debut in the sport with Toleman back in 1984 through to his final, fateful race with Williams.

Written by Manish Pandey and directed by BAFTA award winner Asif Kapadia, the film is being created by Working Title - the same company that produced blockbusters like Four Weddings and a Funeral, Billy Elliot and Notting Hill.

The first documentary feature film about the Brazilian, 'Senna' has been made with the full co-operation of the family and of Formula One Management - which has provided archive footage to tell the story of his life.

"Neither the Senna family nor Bernie Ecclestone have ever sanctioned such a project for the cinema before and we have made the film with unprecedented access to FOM and the family archive," Pandey told jamesallenonF1.com.

Senna was arguably the greatest driver of his generation - and one of the greatest of all time - winning the F1 title on three occasions.