Motor racing is a team sport. Whether it’s F1, Moto GP, Nascar, Rally or drag, it takes more than just one person to get a car around a racetrack and while it may be the driver who gets the honour of standing at the podium once they have won a race, it is as much a result of the efforts of the engineers, designers, mechanics and technical staff as it is the individual themselves.
When it comes motorsport on film, it’s hardly surprising then, that themes of collaboration and teamwork often dominate the narrative. This is most frequently brought to life on screen through two male (let’s be honest, on film, they almost always are) “buddy” protagonists: one representing the driver and the other, the team.
However, finding the right balance is not always easy. The podiums, fame and magnums of champagne enjoyed by race-car drivers inevitably make for some inflated egos and distorted perceptions of self-worth and when these egos meet on the racetrack, forced to compete against one another, it is never long before sparks begin to fly. Whether it is friendly competition or out-and-out disdain, it always makes for great entertainment. It has also proven to be an incredible fruitful source of material for movies and helps explain the wealth of films which fall into the genre.
In this list we take a look at 5 of the films which have captured it best, from the inseparable buddy duo to the pairs who needed to be physically separated from each other.
James Hunt and Niki Lauda – Rush
F1 seems like the perfect breeding ground for iconic rivalries. From Mansell and Piquet, to Hakkinen and Schumacher to Hamilton and Vettel – every generation has had its era-defining tussle – in the 1970s it was between James Hunt and Niki Lauda. The two represented the two drastically different sides of the F1 coin – both were impeccable drivers but while Hunt represented the glamorous side of the sport, Lauda personified the studious dedication that being a professional sportsperson requires. This contrast was intensified during the 1976 F1 season when Niki Lauda was involved in a huge crash at the German Grand Prix, suffering severe burns across his body and face. Amazingly Lauda fought his way back from injury and managed to challenge for the Driver’s Championship against his rival James Hunt, his facial scarring juxtaposing Hunt’s boyish good looks and flowing blond locks.
Ron Howard’s 2013 Rush does a tremendous job at retelling the infamous clash but plays up the rivalry element of the relationship, which was supposedly, on the whole, very respectful.
Dominic Toretto and Brian O’Conner – The Fast and The Furious franchise
Watching the most recent instalments of The Fast and The Furious series, it is easy to forget that it is in fact, in principle, a car-racing franchise. Before the crew started to save the world by driving really, really fast, they were just a rag-tag gang of drag racers making ends with some friendly, old-school carjacking.
While the team’s line up changes almost every film, it is relationship of the core duo – Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) – which ties the films together O’Conner’s charismatic, level-headed personality offering a counterweight to the brash, aggressive Toretto. The tragic death of Paul Walker in 2013 unfortunately put an end to the iconic partnership but not before giving us a solid 6 on-screen outings together.
Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost – Senna
It’s hard to believe that Senna is only 10 years old. The film changed the game when it hit cinemas in 2010, forgoing the standard talking head formula which was ubiquitous in documentary filmmaking at the time, opting instead for archive racetrack footage and home videos overlaid with interview audio from the time. The effect seemingly gave the film a closer insight into the life and mentality of the superstar and illustrated perfectly his disdain for his pantomime rival Alain Prost. Like Hunt and Lauda, Senna and Prost seemingly stood at opposite ends of the F1 spectrum, Senna racing for the passion and excitement of the sport whereas Prost represented the quintessential tactician; nicknamed The Professor, he would mathematically accumulate the exact amount of points required to win a championship.
The innovative techniques used by director Asif Kapadia give the film the impression of a narrative development just as compelling any fiction film included on this list and given the documentary format of the film, its central rivalry can surely be considered the rawest to ever be captured on film.
Lightning McQueen and Mater – Cars franchise
The supportive racing team vs. ego-centric diver dichotomy has never been so effectively put to film than in Cars where Lightening McQueen must overcome his self-centred desire to become the first rookie to win the Piston Cup by working alongside the redneck Mater and a unusual group of misfits from the long-forgotten town of Radiator Springs. The twist is that Lightning McQueen isn’t a driver at all but instead an anthropomorphic car – just like everyone else in his universe.
The film manages to find the right balance between authentic racing story and parody, poking fun at the tropes of the genre while also creating a compelling story with a genuinely touching friendship between Lightening and Mater at the centre. In the rich tapestry, which is the Pixar catalogue, Cars genuinely manages to stand out as one of a kind.
Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles – Le Mans ‘66
Of all of the motorsport races that exist – and there are a lot – the least cinematic of all might be the 24 hours of Le Mans. With an event which takes 12 times as long as a regular film, trying to compress the action into a story which is digestible, and entertaining is no mean feat. It’s impressive, therefore, that two of the greatest motorsport films of all time have focused on the iconic endurance event – Steve McQueen’s Le Mans and the recent Le Mans ’66. However, while the McQueen focuses on the solitude and mental strength possessed by the drivers in the event, Le Mans ’66 centres around the partnership and teamwork required to put together a title-winning team.
To be fair to the filmmakers, the task of dramatizing the event is made somewhat easier thanks to the mercurial Matt Damon and Christian Bale who star as automobile manufacturer Carroll Shelby and driver Ken Miles respectively, as they attempt to defy the odds to help Ford win the competition for the first time. Between them, they must overcome years of Ferrari dominance and corporate interference to construct a vehicle that will stand up to the conditions and the day of racing. This is certainly not one to miss.
Le Mans ’66 will be in cinemas from 15th November 2019.
