Preserve F1 race weekends alive in 2025 with these streaming suggestions

The 2024 Formulation 1 season could have come to a detailed, leaving followers jonesing for something to satiate their racing repair. Fortunately, all through the game’s 75-year historical past, passionate followers who occur to be within the filmmaking enterprise have taken to telling these speed-driven tales by way of quite a few films, documentaries, docuseries, even YouTube content material creators — making a deep again catalog of racing and F1-related content material.  All of it, mainly accessible at your fingertips.

Whether or not you’re ready out the previous few further days away from the workplace into the brand new 12 months, or simply want extra F1 content material to look at earlier than the season lastly will get underway, right here’s a couple of issues so as to add to your watchlist.

Movies

Rush (2013) – Fictionalized movies concerning the higher echelon racing sequence have been few and much between, however that may very well be altering with the rise within the reputation of the game. Nonetheless, if you happen to haven’t already seen Rush, this needs to be close to or on the high of your viewing checklist. Maybe one of the high-profile F1 films in current reminiscence, the Ron-Howard-directed thrill experience follows the legendary rivalry between Niki Lauda (brilliantly performed by Daniel Bruhl) and James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) through the Seventies. Two vastly differing personalities, who share an equally burning need to win, this dramatized model of occasions sees the duo rising by way of the ranks, earlier than specializing in Hunt’s 1976 championship-winning season and Lauda’s exceptional comeback following his life-altering crash in Germany.

The critically lauded, BAFTA award-winning film is at the moment accessible to hire or purchase through Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Fandango, and YouTube.

Grand Prix (1966) – A very exceptional technological and cinematic achievement for its time, Grand Prix takes followers contained in the cockpit of an F1 automobile in superb widescreen. Director John Frankenheimer combined fiction with actuality, opting to make use of precise race footage whereas casting quite a few F1 stars resembling Graham Hill, Juan Manuel Fangio, and Jim Clark to carry out alongside the period’s most notable actors like James Garner and Eva Marie Saint.

Starting on the streets of Monte Carlo and ending in Italy, the film paperwork its personal tackle the 1966 season. Make a journey again in time with this triple-Oscar winner on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Fandango, or YouTube. 

Documentaries

Senna (2010) – Whereas F1 fictional movies are somewhat small in numbers, documentaries on the sequence and its expertise are fairly plentiful. However one stands above the remainder as a must-see. Launched to very large vital acclaim, the 2010 documentary follows  the lifetime of three-time world champion Ayrton Senna earlier than his premature dying at Imola in 1994. The movie spends practically two hours charting his stand up the ranks, his fierce rivalry with Alain Prost, and private life away from the insanity that’s and was F1. 

At present accessible to look at on Netflix, YouTube, and Amazon Prime Video. 

1: Life on the Restrict (2013) – Racing is an immensely harmful sport, and it will be much more harmful immediately had it not been for the drivers and tragic occasions that pushed for adjustments.  Life on the Restrict focuses on the security enhancements made all through F1’s historical past and consists of interviews with a number of the largest names within the sport’s historical past, from Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel, to Jackie Stewart and Niki Lauda.

 Discover it on Amazon Prime Video or for digital buy on some streaming platforms.

Schumacher (2021) – It’s been over a decade since Michael Schumacher’s fateful accident that has stored the F1 nice out of the general public eye. This documentary takes followers for a sneak peek at his life, past his public persona  that includes unique insights from his closest household, together with F1 stars resembling Mika Hakkinen, Damon Hill, and Ross Brawn. 

You possibly can watch the story of the seven-time world champion and the game’s largest icon on Netflix. 

Different worthwhile docs to take a look at if you happen to’re on the lookout for extra: Hammond Meets Moss (2010), Williams (2017), McLaren (2017), and The Grid (1981).

Docuseries

Formulation 1: Drive To Survive  (2019-present) – Drive To Survive (DTS) has been pivotal within the quickly accelerating progress of the game and the notoriety of its personalities worldwide, coined the ‘Netflix phenomenon.’ This docuseries is crammed to the brim with unique behind-the-scenes content material and offers an interesting perception into what life is like for F1’s stars each within the cockpit and away from the pit wall.

Brawn: The Unimaginable Formulation 1 Story (2024) – Narrated by none aside from actor Keanu Reeves, The Unimaginable Formulation 1 Story delves deep into the unbelievable success of the 2009 Brawn GP staff. Rescued from the ashes of the defunct Honda F1 by former Ferrari boss Ross Brawn and powered by a misfit Mercedes engine, the underfunded underdogs went on an unimaginable run throughout their solely season on the grid, to win the 2009 World Drivers’ Championship.Meticulously recounted by the likes of Brawn, Jenson Button, and Rubens Barrichello, this exceptional story reminisces one of the memorable seasons within the sport’s historical past, whereas additionally serving to introduce newcomers to F1. The entire sequence is obtainable on Hulu.

Max Verstappen: Anatomy of a Champion (2023) – One massive factor, or somewhat driver character, considerably amiss by way of the 5 seasons of DTS (talked about above) is Max Verstappen. The four-time world champion attracts a whole lot of consideration due to his actions on the grid, however in terms of being in entrance of the digicam, he’s somewhat mum, or simply avoids them altogether. However, starting in 2017, director Nick Hoedeman constructed a particular relationship with Verstappen that allowed him not solely into components of his life that he and a few of his closest folks know, however to movie it as properly. It’s probably one of many few methods you’ll get to know a bit extra concerning the Dutchman, until you recognize him in actual life. You possibly can stream it with a subscription on Roku Channel and Amazon Prime Video.

Completely YouTube

Formulation 1 – Manufacturers, sequence, and retailers on the whole are getting extra savvy with utilizing YouTube — using their entry and archives to let followers additional into the “inside circle” of fandom. F1 actually has with their Prime 10 movies, placing collectively wonderful archival footage from races all through the game’s historical past, specializing in subjects resembling Pit Lane Drama, Dramatic Closing Laps, and in-season Battles, together with one of the best particular person driver or observe moments. 

Different wonderful recurring segments on the sequence’ web page contain one-on-one interviews with the drivers, giving perception to their vastly differing personalities. And Grill the Grid, the place drivers are quizzed on subjects starting from figuring out their opponents by childhood pictures to naming each F1 world champion — which is price watching only for Sebastian Vettel’s reply alone.

Lando Norris/Quadrant – With over two million subscribers throughout two channels (Lando Norris and Quadrant), the McLaren driver is well essentially the most energetic YouTuber on the grid. His private channel is crammed with movies from the pit lane, giving followers a backstage move to his life primarily through vlogs and Q&As. As for Quadrant – Norris’ attire model – their channel options a mixture of racing, motoring, and gaming content material, together with collaborations with fellow YouTubers. 

Williams Racing – The storied Formulation 1 staff has been across the sport for many years, however actually isn’t shy about leaping into the brand new age of media. Whereas a whole lot of the content material surrounds the lifetime of the drivers on their docket, one of many extra fashionable movies circulating amongst followers late within the 2024 season was the staff rebuilding its crushed automobiles after Brazil — in hopes to have a minimum of one automobile per driver prepared for Las Vegas. You’re feeling for the mechanics as they dig by way of a field of destroyed components to try the inconceivable. You’re feeling much more for them when a type of automobiles goes into the wall throughout qualifying at Vegas. 

The Transferring Bricks – Positive, you’ve watched each 2024 season race, however did you watch the race in Lego kind as properly? Since 2020, Transferring Bricks TV has meticulously constructed F1 tracks in Lego kind, after which utilizing stop-motion, recreates parts of the race, narrated by a number of the actual race commentary. They’re not full races, however the 10 minutes of race content material is well worth the watch.

Motorsport.com – It is time for a plug, and rightfully so. Motorsport.com’s staff has been exhausting at work conducting some fascinating interviews with F1 stars. Current uploads embrace  “Behind The Visor with Jenson Button” the place he talks about his 2009 championship-winning season, together with a “Street Trippin’” episode, the place Senior Author Emily Selleck hits the street to Vegas with now Purple Bull driver Liam Lawson and his girlfriend for an in-depth interview.