Five Great Racing Movies

Senna (2010 Dir: Asif Kapadia)

The life of Ayrton Senna was no ordinary thing and in 2010 British director Asif Kapadia finally shed light on one of F1's finest. Treading a fine line, Senna shows its subject as both hero and villain who although one of the finest drivers of his time was at times one of the most stubborn. Best of all, it goes deep into the Brazilians psyche and undercovers a deeply conflicted soul. Possibly the finest movie that motorsport will ever produce.

Rush (2013 Dir: Asif Kapadia)

Winner of this blog's Film of The Year in 2013, Ron Howard finally succeeded in bringing an excited F1 movie into the 21st century. Replaying the sheer drama and chaos that was the 1976 season, the battle between playboy James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and calculated Niki Lauda (Daniel Bruhl) was captivating. Effortlessly capturing the drivers vastly different persona's, it also brought forward the painfully recover of Lauda after his fiery crash at the Nurburgring. Live action racing has a front runner.

Le Mans (1971 Dir: Lee H Katzin)

Steve McQueen's love of Le Mans was well known throughout his life, so who better to star in a motion picture version. Story wise there is little other than McQueen looking his trademark cool self, but on the track is where the picture really sizzles. Driver Michael Delaney is still guilt-ridden over the death of a rival but the thriller of racing is still an addiction. Drawn into a battle with rival Erich Stahler, the pair of do battle on for the crown of sportscar racing.

Grand Prix (1966 Dir: John Frankenheimer)

Before Rush, this picture was considered the pinnacle of F1 films by director John Frankenheimer. Demonstrating the kamikaze feel of racing in the 1960's, star James Garner makes for an interesting centerpiece as American Pete Amon. A former star who is fading away, Amon has competition from world champion Jean-Pierre Sarti (Yves Montand) and recovering team Scott Stoddard (Brian Bedford). Featuring cameos from greats Stirling Moss, Juan Manual Fangio and Graham Hill, Garner was the real star as he did all his own driving which drew admiration for many drivers.

Days of Thunder (1990 Dir: Tony Scott)

Tom Cruise and Tony Scott's second outing together may have unimpressed critics, but the action on the track is still great. This may be Top Gun in a Chevrolet but together Cruise and Scott make you want to attempt Daytona on impulse. The early action scenes between hot shot rookie Cole Trickle and underhanded champ Rowdy Burns (Michael Rooker) set up the late drama. However, it is his rivalry with cocky new boy Russ Wheeler (Cary Elwes) that provides the real interest. Try watching the final Daytona 500 sequence with grinning from ear to ear.