Did Aryton Senna Have a Wife, Kids? What to Know About His Relationships

• Netflix’s drama series “Senna” follows the Formula 1 driver’s career and 1994 death.
• The show touches on his relationship with his ex-wife, Lilian de Vasconcelos Souza, and girlfriend, Adriane Galisteu.
• Senna didn’t have any kids, but he was dating Galisteu at the time of his death.

Netflix’s new limited series “Senna” gives the Hollywood treatment to late Formula 1 star Ayrton Senna’s professional career and personal life.

The six-episode scripted series, starring Gabriel Leone as the titular character, retells many of the most well-known parts of Senna’s racing career, from his beginning in karting to his eventual success in Formula 1 as a three-time world champion. It also touches on the Brazilian driver’s death at 34 years old at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix after he crashed into a concrete wall.

“Senna” also delves into the driver’s romantic relationships. Senna never had kids, but he had three serious relationships throughout his life: Lilian de Vasconcelos Souza, his first wife; Xuxa Meneghel, a Brazilian TV host; and Adriane Galisteu, a Brazilian actor, TV host, and model, who was also his girlfriend at the time of his death.

Here’s what to know about his relationships with de Vasconcelos Souza and Galisteu.

Senna was briefly married to Lilian de Vasconcelos Souza, his childhood friend

In the Netflix series, Senna and his girlfriend Lilian (Alice Wegmann) move from Brazil to Norfolk, England, so he can compete in Formula Ford, typically an entry-level race for Formula 1 drivers.

As Senna progresses as a driver, she struggles to adapt to living in England. When Senna breaks his promise and pursues racing beyond the year he agreed to, he and Lilian divorce.

Their relationship played out similarly in real life.

According to Tom Rubython’s 2004 biography “The Life of Senna,” Lilian de Vasconcelos Souza (alternatively spelled Liliane Vasconcelos Souza) was from a “wealthy Brazilian family.”

She and Senna were childhood friends who married in February 1981 in São Paulo shortly before moving to England.

As depicted in the Netflix drama, de Vasconcelos Souza didn’t have a life of her own in the UK. She mainly attended Senna’s races and supported his career.

When Senna decided to drive in England for the 1982 season, de Vasconcelos Souza told him their marriage would end. The pair quietly divorced, and she stayed out of the spotlight.

In a 2010 interview with Brazilian news site G1, de Vasconcellos Souza, who was then working as a designer, reflected on her relationship with Senna and her omission from Asif Kapadia’s documentary “Senna: No Fear, No Limits, No Equal.”

She said it was “a very well-made film,” but she was “bothered” that she wasn’t included in it given her relationship with Senna. De Vasconcellos Souza also said she always knew she “was his second passion” after racing.

Additionally, De Vasconcellos Souza told G1 that she and Senna’s different views of having kids in the future caused their split.

She said she became unintentionally pregnant with Senna’s child, and he told her the plan would be for her to raise the baby in Brazil while he stayed in Europe to continue his racing career. De Vasconcellos Souza said she miscarried three days later.

“At that moment, something was cut off inside me because his goal was to enter Formula 1, and mine was to have a husband that I loved and to start a family,” she said.

After her divorce from Senna, she remarried and had a son in 1984. De Vasconcellos Souza was in her third marriage when she heard about Senna’s death on TV. She didn’t attend Senna’s wake or funeral but stopped by the cemetery where he was buried. She also visited his mom, Neyde Senna, and stopped by his São Paulo home.

Senna was in a relationship with Brazilian model and actor Adriane Galisteu at the time of his death

The final two episodes of “Senna” depict Senna’s relationship with Galisteu. In the show, they properly meet when Senna celebrates his Brazilian Grand Prix victory at a club.

In the last episode, she calls Senna, scared and concerned, after hearing about Simtek driver Roland Ratzenberger’s fatal crash on the Imola track during qualifying. When Senna dies from a crash into a concrete wall the next day during the race, she’s seen watching the tragedy unfold on TV.

In real life, Galisteu and Senna dated from 1993 until his death at the San Marino Grand Prix in Italy.

Galisteu met Senna when she worked as a hospitality hostess for the oil company Shell at the 1993 Brazilian Grand Prix. Although they crossed paths in the hospitality suite during the race weekend, they didn’t have their first interaction until Senna’s Brazilian GP celebration at Limelight Club.

During their relationship, they traveled the world together, visiting Monaco, Hungary, and other destinations where the F1 races occurred.

According to Rubython’s biography, Senna planned to stay in Portugal with Galisteu for five months during the European race season in 1994 and not return to Brazil during that time, which was customary for him. This caused a rift between them and Senna’s family, who felt Galisteu wasn’t good enough for him.

Galisteu saw Senna for the last time on April 3, 1994, weeks before his death. She was taking an English language course in Brazil in preparation for spending time in Europe and living with Senna.

Per the biography, Galisteu said that Senna told her he had plans to marry her someday, switch from Williams to Ferrari, and conclude his career with the Italian team.

Galisteu watched the San Marino GP from a TV in Senna’s Portugal home. She was among the mourners at Senna’s funeral in Brazil in May 1994.

After Senna’s death, Galisteu married Brazilian businessman Roberto Justus from 1998 to 1999. She’s been married to Alexandre Iódice since 2010, and they have a son named Vittorio.

Galisteu still models and is active on Instagram, where she posts pictures of her photoshoots, her family, and tributes to Senna.

All episodes of “Senna” are streaming on Netflix.