F1 and beyond. The best films about motor racing

F1 The Movie is definitely a high-quality and expensive film that promotes Formula 1 racing and motorsports in general for viewers who are not very familiar with this field. If what F1 The Movie offers is not enough for you, then let's mention other good feature and documentary films about racing, of course primarily about Formula 1, but also about other types of competitions. The films in the list are sorted by year of release.

Grand Prix

Year : 1966 | IMDb rating : 7.2

One of the first great Formula 1 films tells the story of a fictionalized version of the 1966 championship, in which Ferrari drivers competed against the Jordan BRM team, and their wives, who tried to build a life alongside men who loved racing above all else.

Grand Prix starred such famous actors as James Garner and Yves Montand. The film won three Oscars - for best editing, sound and sound effects (in 1966 these were separate awards).

For fans of Grand Prix racing, it will be interesting to see the original tracks in Monaco and Spa, as well as the first McLaren car - the McLaren M2B, which played the car of the fictional Japanese team Yamura. The driver of the camera car that filmed the racing episodes was 1961 world champion Phil Gill. For most of the filming on the tracks, the legendary Ford GT40 was used, the same car that the film Ford v. Ferrari tells about, the events of which take place in 1966.

Le Mans

Year : 1971 | IMDb rating : 6.7

This film, dedicated to the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and starring the legendary Steve McQueen, is interesting primarily because McQueen actually participated in racing at a professional level. He raced motorcycles, buggies, rally cars, a BMC Mini in the British Touring Car Championship, and even won his class at the 1970 12 Hours of Sebring endurance race driving a Porsche 908/02 prototype.

The film Le Mans was actually filmed during the real 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 1970, using the same Porsche 908/02. McQueen himself wanted to start in a Porsche 917 with Formula 1 world champion Jackie Stewart, but the car was not allowed and the film's producers threatened financial sanctions.

Interestingly, according to the film's script, Porsche wins, so Enzo Ferrari refused to provide his cars for filming, so they had to be borrowed from a Belgian distributor.

Days of Thunder

Year : 1990 | IMDb rating : 6.1

Tony Scott's (The Hunger, Top Gun, The Last Boy Scout, Enemy of the State) NASCAR racing film starring Tom Cruise. The film is not based on a true story, but the writers were inspired by real-life racers Tim Richmond and Jeff Bodine when creating the main character.

Despite the very predictable scenario – a rookie pilot versus a racing veteran, the film captivated with a good acting ensemble: Tom Cruise, Robert Duvall, Nicole Kidman, Michael Rooker and others. The filming took place during real races with real racers behind the wheel, in cars provided by the NASCAR team Hendrick Motorsports, which now has 18 championship titles. And the music for Days of Thunder was written by maestro Hans Zimmer himself.

The film was produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, who produced the old and new Top Gun, Armageddon, Black Hawk Down and a bunch of other films, including the very F1 The Movie.

A Days of Thunder sequel is in the works with… Tom Cruise. And Joseph Kosinski is even thinking about a crossover between F1 The Movie and a new Days of Thunder.

Cars

Year : 2006 | IMDb rating : 8.0

It seems a bit strange to add a children's comedy cartoon to serious films about real events, but the thing is that Pixar's Cars wonderfully conveys the true spirit of racing.

And although the story about a young and promising racer (in this case a car) and his old mentor is completely unoriginal, Pixar really breathed life into these characters and made them stars. We chose the first Cars because the sequels are frankly weaker and sin by repeating themselves. In addition, Cars became one of the first Western films to be released with a Ukrainian dubbing.

Rush

Year : 2013 | IMDb rating : 8.1

Rush is probably the best racing film ever made. Thanks to the interesting story of the rivalry and friendship between legendary Formula 1 drivers Niki Lauda and James Hunt, the quality direction of Ron Howard ("Apollo 13", "A Beautiful Mind", "The Da Vinci Code") and the incredible acting of Daniel Brühl and Chris Hemsworth. This is one of Brühl's best works in cinema and definitely Chris Hemsworth's best role.

Add to this the fantastic music by Hans Zimmer, filming on real old English racetracks and the legendary Nurburgring, real vintage cars and replicas, and you get a true masterpiece that is included in the IMDb list of the 250 best films of all time.

The confrontation between Lauda and Gant in the 1976 season is slightly exaggerated in the film; in reality, they were good friends from the early 1970s until Gant's death in 1993.

Ford v. Ferrari

Year : 2019 | IMDb rating : 8.1

Ford v. Ferrari is based on the book Go Like Hell: Ford, Ferrari, and Their Battle for Speed and Glory at Le Mans by American writer and journalist E. J. Behm and tells the story of the confrontation at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans race.

A truly uncompromising fight, political corporate intrigue all around, two of the best cars in racing history plus a fantastic ensemble cast of Christian Bale, Matt Damon, Caitriona Belfi, Jon Bernthal and Remo Girone as Enzo Ferrari. Many scenes were filmed on real race tracks in the US and at Le Mans, but the pit stops and the starting straight at Le Mans were built at the Agua Dulce airfield in California.

You can argue for a long time about which of the racing films is better - Rush or Ford v. Ferrari. In my opinion, both of them, like their heroes, deserve to be in first place.

Gran Turismo

Year : 2023 | IMDb rating : 7.1

Although this film sometimes looks like part of an advertising campaign for the racing simulator Gran Turismo 7, the film is based on real events and the Sony/Nissan GT Academy program for selecting virtual racers for real-world competitions on the tracks.

Its character Yann Mardenborough really came to motorsport from virtual racing and really took part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans competition and took the prize place in his class. The "impossible" accident shown in the film actually happened. Yann Mardenborough acted as a racing stunt double for the actor Archie Madekwe, who played him in the film.

Ferrari

Year : 2023 | IMDb rating : 6.4

Although Michael Mann's autobiographical drama primarily tells the story of Enzo Ferrari himself, his personal tragedies and life between two families, there is also a place for his obsession with racing and his unchanging credo: "Second place is for losers."

The last third of the film is almost entirely devoted to the tragic Mille Miglia race of 1957. In the film you can see such pilots of the 1950s as Peter Collins, Piero Taruffi, Stirling Moss, Wolfgang von Trips and others. And of course such legendary cars as the Ferrari 315 S, Ferrari 250 GT LWB Scaglietti, Ferrari 500 TRC, Maserati 300S, Porsche 550 RS, etc. And also feel the spirit of the races of those years, when before each race the pilots wrote a farewell letter to their loved ones and families.

Race for Glory: Audi vs. Lancia

Year : 2024 | IMDb rating : 5.8

In my opinion, Race for Glory: Audi vs. Lancia is a bit of an underrated film. The film tells the story of the Audi and Lancia racing teams competing in the 1983 World Rally Championship. Two different perspectives on racing – the meticulous German and the passionate Italian, two completely different cars – the all-wheel drive Audi Quattro and the rear-wheel drive lightweight Lancia Rally 037.

Interestingly, in this film about racing, Daniel Brühl plays again, this time the head of the Audi Sport sports division. The problem of the film is the excessive emphasis on the figure of the manager of the Lancia rally team Cesare Fiorio. I would like to see more racers, not just Walter Röhrl. The same Hanna Mikkola, or the unique female crew of Michelle Mouton and Fabricia Pons.

Racing documentaries

Most racing documentaries focus on outstanding drivers, outstanding designers, or teams.

Truth in 24, Year: 2008 | IMDb: 8.1 – a documentary about the Audi team's preparation for the 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans race. The narrator is voiced by actor Jason Statham.

Senna, Year: 2010 | IMDb: 8.5 – a film about the life, victories and death of the legendary Ayrton Senna.

1, Year: 2013 | IMDb: 7.9 – a film about the history of Formula 1, notable accidents and improvements in racing safety standards. The narrator is voiced by actor Michael Fassbender.

The 24 Hour War, Year: 2016 | IMDb: 7.2 – a documentary version of the same confrontation between Henry Ford II and Enzo Ferrari, which is shown in the feature film Ford v. Ferrari.

Ferrari: Race to Immortality, Year: 2017 | IMDb: 6.9 – a documentary about Enzo Ferrari, Scuderia Ferrari and its drivers.

McLaren, Year: 2017 | IMDb: 7.3 – a New Zealand film about Bruce McLaren and the team he founded.

Williams, Year: 2017 | IMDb: 7.6 – a film about Sir Frank Williams, his team and family.

A Life of Speed: The Juan Manuel Fangio Story, Year: 2020 | IMDb: 7.1 – a film about the life of five-time world champion Juan Manuel Fangio. The film stars many stars of modern Formula 1.

Schumacher, Year: 2021 | IMDb: 7.4 – Netflix film about the racing career of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, filmed with the assistance of his family.