12 Racing Films Like F1 The Movie You Must See

Directed by Joseph Kosinski, ‘F1: The Movie’ follows Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt), one of the rising giants of Formula One in the 1990s, whose career gets derailed after a horrific accident on the track. Living as a nomadic racer-for-hire three decades later, he is approached by his former teammate Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem). The latter owns a struggling Formula One team, APXGP, that is on the verge of collapse. He convinces Sonny to return to F1 and give it a last shot, teaming him with hotshot rookie driver Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris). However, Sonny quickly realizes redemption is not a road traveled with ease.

Created in collaboration with the governing body of Formula One racing, Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, ‘F1: The Movie’ features real teams and drivers, including Lewis Hamilton, who is credited as a producer. It provides a realistic portrayal of the thrill of racing the world’s fastest regulated road-course cars, while keeping the narrative grounded with personal drama. If it has captured your interest, here are some more films similar to ‘F1: The Movie’ for you to check out.

12. Williams (2017)

‘Williams’ is a documentary on the life of Sir Francis “Frank” Williams, who co-founded the British Formula One team and constructor, Williams Racing. Directed by Morgan Mathews, it traces his journey of building one of the most enduring teams to ever race on F1 circuits. However, he gets into a near-fatal crash in 1986, which leaves the future of his team hanging in the balance at a time when he is personally at the height of his success. Frank’s recovery and return to Formula One resonate with the journey made by Sonny Hayes in ‘F1: The Movie.’

11. Days of Thunder (1990)

Helmed by Tony Scott, ‘Days of Thunder’ tells of the rivalry between hotshot newcomer Cole Trickle (Tom Cruise) and veteran racer Rowdy Burns (Michael Rooker) in the thrilling world of NASCAR. The steadily intensifying clash between the two culminates in a massive crash during the Firecracker 400 at Daytona. Seriously injured, the two bond over the accident and become fast friends. As Rowdy takes longer to recover, Cole gets into the driver’s seat of his car to take on underhanded rookie Russ Wheeler (Cary Elwes). Though not set in the world of Formula One, Cole’s journey traces a similar path to Sonny Hayes in ‘F1: The Movie.’ Both drivers start off as prodigies, and make comebacks after accidents as more seasoned professionals.

10. Driven (2001)

‘Driven’ by Renny Harlin revolves around the CART FedEx Championship Series, where young prodigy Jimmy Bly (Kip Pardue) threatens to take the title away from defending champion Beau Brandenburg (Til Schweiger). Beau leaves his fiancée and redoubles his efforts to cling to his title. This forces Jimmy’s team owner, Carl Henry (Burt Reynolds), to bring legendary racer Joe Tanto (Sylvester Stallone) out of retirement to train the rookie ahead of the final showdown. The film provides another portrayal of the young versus old rivalry at the race track, similar to ‘F1: The Movie.’

9. Le Mans (1971)

Lee H. Katzin’s ‘Le Mans’ stars Steve McQueen as Michael Delaney, a talented driver representing Porsche at the annual 24-hour endurance race at Le Mans, France. Since his rival at the last tournament was killed in an accident while driving a Ferrari, Michael is being chased by the ghosts of his past, both on and off the race tracks. Things get further complicated as he finds himself drawn toward the person’s widow, who seemingly reciprocates his feelings. In the end, he faces off against his new rival, Ferrari’s Erich Stahler (Siegfried Rauch). From car crash to new competition, Michael’s story bears a semblance to that of Sonny Hayes in ‘F1: The Movie.’

8. The Art of Racing in the Rain (2019)

Based on the eponymous novel by Garth Stein, ‘The Art of Racing in the Rain’ centers around a golden retriever named Enzo. His owner, Denny Swift (Milo Ventimiglia), is a professional race car driver who hopes to make it to Formula One. Adopted as a pup after Denny finishes a race, Enzo remains his steadfast companion as Denny’s family grows to include a loving wife and daughter. He witnesses the ups and downs in the life of a person willing to make great sacrifices for the sake of a racing career, and only wishes for himself to be reborn as a human. Unlike ‘F1: The Movie,’ the film shifts its focus from the tracks and into the personal life of a professional driver.

7. Gran Turismo (2023)

‘Gran Turismo’ is a dramatized account of the life of Jann Mardenborough, who, as a teenager, became a professional race car driver by being exceptionally skilled at the titular video game. Despite his father’s disapproval, Jann (Archie Madekwe) setting a record time at the racing simulator makes him eligible to attend the GT Academy. The institution is the brainchild of Nissan marketing executive Danny Moore (Orlando Bloom), who brings former professional racer turned mechanic Jack Salter (David Harbour) on board to become Jann’s trainer. However, Jann soon realizes racing in the real world is far more challenging than it is on screen. The thrill of racing that ‘F1: The Movie’ captures is brought to life by Neill Blomkamp in ‘Gran Turismo’ with a gamer at the center.

6. 1: Life on the Limit (2013)

‘1: Life on the Limit’ is a documentary by Paul Crowder that traces the history of Formula One racing from its inception to the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, where two drivers, Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna, died in separate accidents. Michael Fassbender serves as the narrator in the film, which extensively uses archival footage and real interviews to depict the golden age of the sport. A generation of skilled drivers put their lives on the line for the sport, and it is because of the stand taken by some of the stalwarts that we can enjoy the sport as it is today. The film serves as a precursor in spirit to the events of ‘F1: The Movie.’

5. Schumacher (2021)

Co-directed by Hanns-Bruno Kammertöns, Vanessa Nöcker, and Michael Wech, ‘Schumacher’ is a documentary on the life of seven-time Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher. It documents his racing career and shares insight into his personal life through footage found in his family’s personal archives as well as those in Formula One archives. The film also features interviews with members of his family, and renowned F1 figures like Jean Todt, Bernie Ecclestone, Sebastian Vettel, Mika Häkkinen, Damon Hill, David Coulthard, and Flavio Briatore. The drama of ‘F1: The Movie’ is juxtaposed with real life as Schumacher journeys from racing go-karts to Grand Prix.

4. Senna (2011)

‘Senna’ by Asif Kapadia documents the life of Brazilian racing legend Ayrton Senna, who thrice became the Formula One champion. The film opens with a clip of young Senna racing go-karts, happy that it has no money or politics involved. Using archival footage and narrative voice-over, it traces his journey from the streets of Brazil to the circuits of Grand Prix. Along with his success story, ‘Senna’ also showcases the rivalry between the titular character and his fellow driver at McLaren, Alain Prost. Senna’s life and trials paint a brutal historical picture against the grand drama of ‘F1: The Movie.’

3. Ferrari (2023)

Based on the biography ‘Enzo Ferrari: The Man, the Cars, the Races, the Machine’ by motorsport journalist Brock Yates, ‘Ferrari’ revolves around the experiences of the founder of the eponymous Italian car company in the summer of 1957. After spending almost all of the company’s resources on developing a Formula One car, Enzo (Adam Driver) prepares his racing team, Scuderia Ferrari, for the 1000-mile open road race, Mille Miglia. This worsens his financial state at a time when his marriage is on the rocks over infidelity and the recent demise of his son. The dramatized true story provides an insight into the man whose name has become synonymous with fast cars and racing, and thus adds depth to the viewing experience of ‘F1: The Movie.’

2. Ford v Ferrari (2019)

Directed by James Mangold, ‘Ford v Ferrari’ chronicles the efforts of Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) and Ken Miles (Christian Bale) to build a race car to win the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans race in France. Henry Ford II hires former Le Mans winner and automotive designer Carroll to build a car that can defeat the ones built by his European rival, Enzo Ferrari. To make it possible, the latter enlists the help of his English friend, racing driver and mechanical engineer Ken. Together with the help of a dedicated team at Shelby American, they take on the challenge while dealing with egotistical corporate executives. The thrill of the circuits and the personal drama that ‘F1: The Movie’ captures is well reflected in ‘Ford v Ferrari.’

1. Rush (2013)

‘Rush’ is a dramatized retelling by director Ron Howard of the real-life rivalry between Formula One drivers James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl) in the mid-1970s. James happens to be a brash and charismatic individual who is confident of his inherent skills, while Niki is a more composed technical genius who puts his faith into practice and precision. They push each other to their absolute limits on the circuits, even in the face of great danger in the fast-paced sport. Many parallels can be drawn between ‘Rush’ and ‘F1: The Movie,’ from the thrill of the races on the circuits to the dramatic personal lives of the characters. Both films explore the resilience of the drivers in the face of extreme dangers, all for the sake of the breathtaking sport.