For many experts, Ayrton Senna’s first victory should have come during the epic Monaco Grand Prix in 1984. However, it was also in torrential rain and under extremely challenging conditions that the Brazilian achieved his first triumph in Formula 1, the pinnacle of motorsport.

Attention: from now on, you will read information that describes some moments from the series.

Episode 3 – Ambition

Episode 3 of Senna showcases why Ayrton was considered the “Rain Master,” even with just one full season in Formula 1. Now driving for a more competitive team, Lotus, the Brazilian won the 1985 Portuguese Grand Prix with over a minute’s lead over the second-place finisher, lapping every competitor from third place onwards.

In addition to this remarkable (and true) story from the 1985 Portuguese GP, the episode delves into behind-the-scenes aspects of Senna’s career, such as his excellent relationship with the Japanese Honda team, which signed a deal with Lotus to supply engines starting in 1987.

This marked the beginning of one of Formula 1’s most successful partnerships, which immediately yielded results. In its debut season, Senna (and Brazil) celebrated a first victory at the sport’s most iconic race, the Monaco Grand Prix. To this day, Senna holds the record for most wins at Monaco, with six victories.

The success of the Senna-Honda partnership at Lotus carried over to McLaren starting in 1988. The combination of the best engines, the best team, and the reigning best driver in the world (Alain Prost) alongside a young talent seeking his first title (Senna) created what is still referred to as “the greatest team in Formula 1 history.”

Senna knew that sharing the team with Prost, a two-time world champion with McLaren (1985 and 1986), would not be easy. A valuable lesson highlighted by Senna himself came during the Monaco Grand Prix that season. Leading by over 50 seconds, he crashed just a few laps from the finish.

Among the real events depicted in the series are the team’s request for Senna to ease his pace and Senna’s own account of being in complete synergy with the car—describing it as entering another dimension. He first experienced this during qualifying at Monaco in 1988, when he was 1.4 seconds faster than Prost on a single lap.

Also true is the story of Senna walking from the crash site at the tunnel entrance to his apartment in Monaco, just a few blocks away.

After the crash in Monte Carlo, which earned him headlines calling him “The Barber of Monaco,” Senna’s response in the following races was remarkable. Episode 3 portrays the dramatic rivalry between Senna and Prost, including Senna’s thrilling overtake on Prost in Canada, which led to victory and kickstarted a streak of six wins in seven races.

Rain once again became Senna’s ally during the 1988 season, notably at Silverstone, a track where he had excelled in junior categories like Formula Ford and Formula 3. Relive the full story in the episode.

The title fight between Senna and Prost was so intense that the Hungarian Grand Prix came down to mere tenths of a second at the finish line—a wheel-to-wheel duel between the two McLarens, as vividly shown in Episode 3.

After securing his seventh win of the year at Spa, Senna was already considered the title favorite. Prost’s declaration, seemingly “handing over the crown” to increase pressure on Senna, also happened. However, as shown in Senna, his first title didn’t come easily. It was clinched at the penultimate round of the season in Suzuka, in a scenario worthy of a movie. All the elements in this part of Episode 3 are factual: Senna earned pole position but stalled at the start, dropping 16 places on the first lap. Prost built a massive lead, while Senna overtook one rival after another. A light rain fell, aiding Senna as he closed the gap to Prost. Finally, after a decisive overtake, Senna maintained the lead to fulfill his childhood dream.

An interesting detail at the end of the episode is Ayrton Senna’s heartfelt statement to the fictional character Laura Harrison. The Brazilian’s words are taken directly from a moving interview he gave to Globo TV journalist Reginaldo Leme after the 1988 title in Suzuka:

“My goal is to continue my life, improve as a professional, learn more—I still have so much to learn. I want to grow as a person and spend more time with my family, with the people I care about. I’m only 28 years old, with my whole life ahead of me, and I still have a lot of good things to share with all these people,” Senna said in Suzuka in 1988 after clinching the championship.

Article originally produced for the website Senna.com by Rodrigo França.