Top 5 F1 Films Of All Time - by John Thomas

Formula 1 racing has been linked closely with film lately, largely thanks to the 2013 release, and enormous success, of Ron Howard's Rush. You will likely recall that we offered a review of the movie some time back. At the time, we suggested that Howard's film may just have been strong enough to be considered the best F1 film ever made, though truth be told (thanks to several stirring documentaries) this is a more competitive field than many might believe.

With Rush now trying its luck on the awards circuit, however, it seems like a good time to follow up on our prior claim with a brief ranking of the top five F1 films ever made. And in case you haven't seen any of these, be sure to keep an eye out for them on Picturebox. This unique streaming movie service offers a bevy of films on a rotating basis, as a specialised panel of cinefiles shuffles through them every few months or so. Now that you know where to look, on to the list!

5. WEEKEND OF A CHAMPION
If you're looking for the best insight into the life of a racing champion - or at least, his mindset entering a major event - this should be a film you mark down. Produced by the great Roman Polanski, the film is a real life look into the 1971 Monaco Grand Prix and specifically follows legendary champion Jackie Stewart as he prepares for the race. It's a rare look. And that's not just in F1, but in sports in general, as it gazes into the true preparation and mindset of a champion.

1 - Film Review: Not just another F1 film

Yet another F1 film release? Right in the wheel tracks of the blockbuster successes of Senna and Rush, a documentary and a theatrical film respectively? Just like them based on the sport's past? What on earth can it offer over and above these? Well, in the case of 1, rather a lot as it turns out.

Even above and beyond the challenges outlined in the opening paragraph, the film-makers of 1 - a new film about the history of F1 - hardly could have asked for a more daunting set of objectives. Max Mosley told the film's director Paul Crowder at the project's outset that if he could 'capture why he's devoted 40 years of his life to F1 then he'll have succeeded'. In essence, the makers felt that their mission was to capture the essence of this the pinnacle of motor sport. Its glamour, its pace, its danger, and everything else besides. No mean feat.

Despite what it says on the tin though 1 isn't really a history of F1. Not exactly anyway. But nevertheless it can be said to have gone a long way to meeting its haughty mission statement.

Martin Brundle starts
 and ends the story
Credit: greenmashup / CC

The film starts not in the beginning, but on the starting grid of the 1996 Australian Grand Prix. Perhaps not the most obvious choice, but its reasoning soon becomes clear. The animated buzz of the assembled crowd, the rich colours resultant of the full-beam Melbourne sunshine, as well as the mass of team members and assorted hangers on crawling over the assembled cars - all in eager anticipation of the race, and season, start - are familiar. As is the gradual, aching build up of tension, eventually to be released as the cars are unleashed like feral beasts when the red light goes out.

But then...not long after we had a spectacular accident: Martin Brundle got his braking wrong and cartwheeled over several cars, his machine disintegrating as it did so. The car, by now a heap of wreckage, came to rest upside down in a gravel bed, and the seconds of time wherein there is no movement from the cockpit seem to stretch on like hours. All of the harrowing accidents, some fatal, that took place within the previous 24 months suddenly seem scarily redolent. Yet, before you know it Brundle emerges, in his own words 'without a bruise on his body' and then can be seen - accompanied by the roar of the crowd - hot-footing it down the pit lane to find Sid Watkins in order to get the OK to take the restart.

New F1 Times article: Rush 2 - What happened next for Lauda and Hunt

Some of you might have noticed this by now, but in case you didn't I made my debut over at The F1 Times the other day, writing about a possible Rush 2. In other words, I looked at what happened to James Hunt and Niki Lauda after the Rush film leaves us, at the dramatic conclusion of the 1976 season with the two protagonists on top of the world.

And it's perhaps not a tale you'd expect, as within three years both drivers had walked away from the sport without a backwards glance (pretty much literally), having become also-rans. I look what happened and how; the article can be read here.

I'm particularly proud of it, if I'm allowed to comment on such things...

Rush UK release: new features

After what seemed like interminable waiting, the Rush film - which follows the famous James Hunt-Niki Lauda rivalry of the 1976 F1 season - was released in the UK today. And to celebrate this StudioCanal has make available two new behind the scenes featurettes as well as a new clip.

And here they are. First of all here below is a clip from the film of Lauda and Hunt answering press questions prior to the season-ending Japanese Grand Prix.



Here's a featurette about putting the film's amazing on-track scenes together, specifically the wet race of Fuji in Japan (though you'll note that they filmed it at Snetterton!)

Rush Review - 1976 and all that

If history is any sort of guide, then making a motor racing film is a perilous task. The pitfalls are many and considerable, perhaps even obvious, but no less hard to avoid for that. The main ones include that one has to come up with something plausible and accurate to the motor racing aficionado, but entertaining enough to transcend the boundaries and appeal to more of a mass market. If it's based on actual events then you're even more constrained, as the same motor sport nerds will delight in pointing out any major departures from what actually happened. It's also necessary to both create convincing on-track scenes as well as have a compelling off-track plot.

And achieving these seems easier said than done. Some have tried, but arguably none have ticked all of the boxes. John Frakenheimer's Grand Prix from 1966 emphatically ticks the on-track footage box, which was wonderful, but its plot away from the track is rather porous (though perhaps not quite as bad as some like to claim). Le Mans of 1971 equally has wonderful and convincing footage, but hardly an off-track plot at all. Driven fails on both counts, and thus the less that is said about it the better. While Senna got around many of the problems (such as those of realism and creating convincing action) by being a documentary which used original footage from on and off the track as well as, let's be frank, carried a narrative that only really gave one side of that particular story.

Thus, Ron Howard's Rush - tracking the James Hunt/Niki Lauda rivalry in the 1976 F1 season - had much to contend with, lots of traps to fall into. But, do you know what? He's only gone and nailed it. It could well be that motor sport now has a new number one film ever. Certainly it has its leading non-documentary.

New Rush features to mark the world premiere

As you're probably aware by now, the world premiere of the much-anticipated Rush film is happening today in London's Leicester Square. And to mark this as well as to whet all of our appetites further, Studio Canal has released two new behind the scenes featurettes as well as a new clip. You can watch them below.

And my review of the Rush film, given I was lucky enough to see an advance screening of it last week, will be live on this site at 9pm UK time this evening, when the embargo lifts. So do look out for that.

New Rush clips to mark James Hunt's birthday

The much-anticipated UK release of Rush, the epic true-life drama directed by Ron Howard focussing on James Hunt’s exhilarating rivalry with Niki Lauda in the 1976 Formula 1 season, edges ever closer. And in celebration of legend James Hunt on what would have been his birthday, StudioCanal have today released a photo of Hunt (see right) as well as a new clip and featurette from Rush.

Here's a behind the scenes featurette below, including the thoughts of Ron Howard:

Rush: New pictures

The UK release of the Rush film - that which tells the story of the classic Niki Lauda/James Hunt battle in the 1976 F1 season - continues to approach, 13 September being the date. And as of last Friday pre-order for booking cinema tickets for Rush opened at most cinemas.

And as the film's release approaches a few more images from it have been released. To whet your appetite yet further, here they are below.

Furthermore, if you want to find out where the nearest cinema is to you that's showing Rush, as well as pre-order your tickets, you can via the film's Facebook page here.

James Hunt's McLaren M23, in the rain

Niki Lauda - played by Daniel Bruhl -
prepares for a race start

James Hunt - played by Chris Hemsworth - and Niki Lauda
 - played by Daniel Bruhl - check out a BRM

Some BRM sketches

Carlos Pace's Brabham-Alfa Romeo BT45

Patrick Depailler's classic Tyrrell P34,
complete with six wheels

RUSH: Latest trailer

The 1976 F1 season, and the James Hunt vs. Niki Lauda rivalry therein, is one that has gone into the sport's folklore. And as you're probably aware by now, its story has been given the Hollywood treatment, by Ron Howard in the forthcoming RUSH film. Below is the latest trailer, featuring footage from on and off the track that certainly I hadn't seen before, as well as an intro from Howard. If nothing else, it seems that both Hunt and Lauda have been captured perfectly by actors Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Bruhl respectively.



It's out in UK cinemas on September the 13th. I for one can't wait.