'Senna' - A Documentary Film Trivia Quiz

Answer: True

'Senna' is not a modern film in the sense that it contains no CGI, was not produced in 3D and does not really even lend itself to being watched in high definition. The archive footage that makes up the majority of the film is 1980s and early 1990s television sports coverage and the onboard cameras fitted to the F1 cars provide grainy and static filled images.

However, this does allow the film to evoke that era of F1 perfectly and the personal home video clips in particular, despite the somewhat shaky camerawork, remind the viewer that they are watching someone's tragic life story not a Hollywood blockbuster.

Answer: False

'Senna' was actually directed by a relatively unknown British film director named Asif Kapadia. It was the debut film for its writer, Manish Pandey, and won Best Documentary at the 65th British Film Academy Awards (BAFTAs) and the World Cinema Audience Award: Documentary at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.

Ron Howard directed the 2013 film 'Rush', which tells the story of the battle between Niki Lauda and James Hunt to secure the 1976 F1 world championship title.

Answer: Alain Prost

Ayrton Senna joined the McLaren team at the start of the 1988 season to partner the then double world champion, Alain Prost. To begin with they had a good relationship and despite the fact they were battling each other for the world title, 'Senna' includes plenty of footage of them laughing and joking together. An example of that attitude was when Senna said in an interview that they would "have good fun from now on". Between them, Prost and Senna won 15 of the 16 F1 races held in 1988.

The problems began in 1989 when Senna apparently broke a pre-race agreement not to overtake Prost at the first corner of the San Marino Grand Prix. From that point there was a complete lack of trust between the drivers and Prost left the team at the end of the season, after saying "it becomes absolutely impossible to work with Ayrton". In 1993, Prost went as far as to ban the Williams team from signing Senna as his team-mate.

Answer: Suzuka Circuit

Suzuka was the scene for some of the most controversial incidents of Ayrton Senna's career - and all involved his bitter rival Alain Prost. In 1989, he and Prost crashed at the chicane - Prost was eliminated, but Senna managed to go on to win the race and keep his world championship hopes alive. However, he was controversially disqualified for having missed the chicane and Prost was declared champion. Later, after a failed appeal, Senna was fined $100,000 and given a six-month suspended ban of his licence - he was outraged, saying he felt he had been "treated like a criminal".

A year later, in 1990, Senna and Prost crashed again - this time at the first corner of the race - and both cars were eliminated. However, this accident was in Senna's favour and meant he was able to clinch the championship while sitting in the gravel trap. Prost was furious, the subtitles used in the film translated his comments as "I wanted to punch him in the face, but I was so disgusted I could not do it. He revolts me!"

The alternative answers are all motor racing circuits in Japan. Fuji Speedway was the location for the first Japanese Grand Prix in 1976, while the Tanaka International circuit (also known as Okayama International), in Aida, hosted the Pacific Grand Prix in 1994 and 1995.

Answer: Martin Donnelly

Martin Donnelly drove for Team Lotus in 1990, until he suffered career-ending injuries in a horrific accident at the 14th race of the season at Jerez, in southern Spain. He had made his F1 debut the previous year and scored a career best 7th place finish at the 1990 Hungarian Grand Prix. The once hugely successful Lotus team, with whom Ayrton Senna had scored his maiden victory, were in decline by 1990 and, unfortunately for Donnelly (and his team-mate Derek Warwick), the car was generally uncompetitive.

The incorrect options were all British drivers who also competed in the 1990 F1 season; only Nigel Mansell went on to become world champion - in 1992.

Answer: It was the first time he won his home grand prix.

The race in question was the 1991 Brazilian Grand Prix, held in Senna's home city of Sao Paulo. It was Senna's eighth attempt to win his home race - the first seven having resulted in two podiums, one non-points finish, three retirements and a disqualification.

The physical effort of getting the car to the finish line resulted in Senna suffering muscle spasms in his neck and shoulders. Poignant footage included in the film showed him being helped from his car, calling for his father to hug him (gently!), and being barely able to lift the winner's trophy on the podium. The footage of the excitement and happiness of the Brazilian fans was equally amazing - it had been five years since a Brazilian driver had won the Brazilian Grand Prix and 16 years since the feat had been achieved at the Interlagos circuit in Sao Paulo.

The Brazilian Grand Prix was only the second race of the season in 1991 so could not have determined the outcome of either the drivers' or constructors' world championship. Michael Schumacher did not make his F1 debut until later in 1991 and it was the 28th of Senna's 41 F1 race wins.

Answer: Alain Prost and Damon Hill

Alain Prost won the 1993 F1 world championship for the Williams team, but finished second in the last race of the season in Australia, with Damon Hill in third. It was Prost's last race before his retirement from the sport and Senna's last race for the McLaren team, ahead of a planned move to Williams for the 1994 season. As Senna retired from the first two races of 1994 and was killed during the third, the 1993 Australian race therefore marked both his final podium and race victory.

The footage included in 'Senna' showing Senna and Prost smiling happily and posing together on the podium highlighted the fact that their relationship had improved since the dark days of 1989 and 1990. However, Prost later commented that he was unhappy with the balance of how he was portrayed in the film.

The incorrect answer options were the fourth to ninth place finishers in the race (in the order: Alesi, Berger, Brundle, Suzuki, Patrese and Blundell).

Answer: Austria

Austrian driver, Roland Ratzenberger, was competing in his first season of F1 in 1994 for the brand new Simtek team. The team were inexperienced and underfunded but Ratzenberger was able to fulfil his dream of racing in F1 at the Japanese Grand Prix (having failed to qualify for the first race of the season in Brazil), finishing in 11th place.

Ratzenberger's death was the first fatality of a driver during a F1 race weekend since Riccardo Paletti was killed in Canada in 1982, although Elio de Angelis had been killed testing a F1 car in France in 1986. After Senna's death, an Austrian flag was discovered in the wreckage of his car - Senna had clearly planned to raise it in tribute to Ratzenberger at the end of the race.

Answer: Sid Watkins

Watkins, or 'Prof' as he was affectionately known, was the FIA's 'Formula One Safety and Medical Delegate' for over 20 years. He was a common sight at F1 races as his role included riding in the medical car in order to be able to get to the scene of any accident as quickly as possible.

Watkins was close to Senna and was concerned about him taking part in the race at Imola in 1994, given his reaction to the death of Roland Ratzenberger and the serious accident suffered by Rubens Barrichello during the qualifying sessions. In 'Senna', Watkins is quoted as telling Senna "why don't you quit, and I'll quit, and we'll just go fishing?" to which Senna responded "Sid, I can't quit". Tragically the next day Watkins had to attend the accident that involved Senna himself.

Watkins died on September 12th 2012, but his legacy of massive improvements to safety and medical standards in all areas of motor racing remains.

John Watson was a British F1 driver (and shared the name with the fictional doctor who was Sherlock Holmes's sidekick in the stories by Arthur Conan Doyle); Den Watts was a character in the British TV show 'Eastenders'; and Roger Waters was from the band 'Pink Floyd'.

Answer: Karting

Ayrton Senna moved to Europe in 1978 to compete in the Karting World Championship. His team-mate was an experienced driver named Terry Fullerton, who had become the first British driver to win the series in 1973. Fullerton remained in karts for his whole motor racing career; he never moved on to racing cars due to the high risks involved. However, he was involved in developing young drivers and worked with British drivers who did make the step to F1 - including Paul di Resta, Allan McNish and Anthony Davidson. The incorrect options were Senna's team-mates during his early F1 career.

This interview was conducted after the 1993 Australian Grand Prix, which was Alain Prost's last F1 race before his retirement. The interviewer, Mark Fogerty, must have been expecting Senna to talk about Prost when he asked this question but instead Senna gave an important insight into his early career - before fame, F1 politics and tragedy caught up with him:

"He [Fullerton] was very experienced, and I enjoyed very much driving with him because he was fast, he was consistent, he was for me a very complete driver. And it was pure driving, pure racing... I have that as a very good memory."