Motorsports, particularly Formula 1, have been a prominent leitmotif in pop culture for decades. The fast-paced world of F1 first made its way to the silver screen with the 1966 release, Grand Prix. Since then, we have been treated to numerous works centred around the sport. Naturally, a pertinent question arises at this point — which are the best F1 movies of all time?
Celebrated modern-day drivers, such as George Russell, Carlos Sainz Jr., Alex Albon, Lando Norris and Nico Hülkenberg, have named Rush as their favourite Formula 1 movie. They even mentioned the 2006 Pixar Animation classic Cars as an enjoyable watch, though this is not an F1 title.
Of course, there are several other noteworthy works, ranging from documentaries and biopics to fictional tales, so choosing the best of them is a hard call to make. However, the common thread in all of them is the unabashed love for motorsports, which appeals to the inner fan in the viewers.
On that note, join us as we step on the accelerator and embark on a ride to revisit the 10 best F1 movies of all time, ranked according to their IMDb ratings.
Formula 1 on screen: 10 best F1 movies of all time
1. Senna
Release year: 2010
Directed by: Asif Kapadia
Cast: Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, Frank Williams, Ron Dennis
IMDb rating: 8.5/10
Kicking off our list of the best F1 movies is Senna, a documentary that chronicles the life of the Brazilian motorsports legend Ayrton Senna. Instead of following a formal commentary or ‘talking head’ interviews, the film relies heavily on archival footage. Through it, F1 fans of the 21st century were introduced to Senna, who became a three-time world champion before his untimely demise following a fatal crash at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.
Senna was hailed by fans and critics alike for its grounded yet touching storytelling technique, and was named the Best Documentary at the 65th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA). It is widely regarded as one of the best sports documentaries ever made.
2. Rush
Release year: 2013
Directed by: Ron Howard
Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Daniel Brühl, Olivia Wilde, Alexandra Maria Lara
IMDb rating: 8.1/10
One of the fiercest rivalries in the history of Formula 1, the competition between James Hunt and Niki Lauda became the premise of the Ron Howard directorial Rush. The two drivers were engaged in an intense race to the championship title in the fabled 1976 season, with Hunt ultimately claiming the crown by a solitary point.
Rush received positive reviews from critics, with Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl lauded for their strong performances as Hunt and Lauda, respectively. The cherry on the top came in the form of Hans Zimmer’s energetic musical score, underlining his evergreen excellence.
3. F1: The Movie
Release year: 2025
Directed by: Joseph Kosinski
Cast: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Javier Bardem, Kerry Condon
IMDb rating: 7.9/10
If Senna and Rush faced the challenge of retelling significant episodes from Formula 1’s folklore, F1: The Movie had the uphill task of coming up with an engaging fictional tale. With a talented cast and the support of real-life drivers (like Lewis Hamilton) and team owners at his disposal, director Joseph Kosinski was able to deliver a solid product.
F1: The Movie narrates a simple yet powerful underdog story, in which its protagonist, Sonny Hayes (played by Brad Pitt), returns to Formula 1 after decades to help a struggling team compete against the best in the business, such as Red Bull Racing, Scuderia Ferrari and Mercedes-AMG Petronas.
At the time of writing this article, F1: The Movie has grossed in excess of USD 450 million worldwide. While critics were divided in their opinions, most viewers found it to be an entertaining watch. As a result, the 2025 release speeds into our list of the best F1 movies of all time.
4. Hunt vs Lauda: F1’s Greatest Racing Rivals
Release year: 2013
Directed by: Matthew Whiteman
Cast: Ed Stoppard, James Hunt, Niki Lauda, Enzo Ferrari
IMDb rating: 7.8/10
Rush is not the only silver screen outing of the James Hunt vs Niki Lauda rivalry. While Ron Howard decided to give it a biographical treatment, Matthew Whiteman opted for a documentary-style storytelling with the help of unseen archival footage and interviews.
British actor Ed Stoppard served as the narrator of the film. The spectacular competition between the erstwhile drivers from McLaren and Scuderia Ferrari was succinctly portrayed in this documentary, minus the drama of a biopic, which made Hunt vs Lauda: F1’s Greatest Racing Rivals a light yet powerful movie to enjoy.
5. The Art of Racing in the Rain
Release year: 2019
Directed by: Simon Curtis
Cast: Milo Ventimiglia, Amanda Seyfried, Kathy Baker, Kevin Costner
IMDb rating: 7.6/10
Another fictional tale in the mix, The Art of Racing in the Rain is the silver screen adaptation of a 2008 namesake novel by Garth Stein. The film follows Formula 1 driver Denny Swift (played by Milo Ventimiglia) and his furry friend Enzo (voiced by Kevin Costner). It talks about how the latter learns to navigate through life by taking lessons from Denny’s career on the race track.
While a segment of critics slammed it for being clichéd and unnecessarily melodramatic, the average viewer found it enjoyable. Regardless of the verdict, its unconventional narrative makes The Art of Racing in the Rain a one-of-a-kind entry in this list of the best F1 movies.
6. Williams
Release year: 2017
Directed by: Morgan Matthews
Cast: Frank Williams, Lewis Hamilton, Jackie Stewart, Nigel Mansell
IMDb rating: 7.6/10
Frank Williams, one of the most prominent figures in the world of Formula 1, was the founder of the Williams Racing Team. His love affair with motorsports was eternal, so much so that even a near-fatal car crash in 1986 could not take him away from Formula 1. Between 1980 and 1997, he won a staggering nine World Constructors’ Championship titles.
In 2017, Morgan Matthews decided to document the British legend’s journey in a feature-length film. Williams received generally positive reviews from critics, with Rotten Tomatoes giving it a 93 per cent rating on its ‘Tomatometer’.
7. Weekend of a Champion
Release year: 1972
Directed by: Roman Polanski
Cast: Jackie Stewart, Helen Stewart, Roman Polanski
IMDb rating: 7.5/10
One of the earliest efforts to make a Formula 1-themed documentary was by the legendary filmmaker Roman Polanski. Titled Weekend of a Champion, the movie followed the British F1 driver Jackie Stewart as he competed in the 1971 Monaco Grand Prix.
The film premiered at the 1972 Berlin International Film Festival. However, after a brief theatrical release in Europe, it went unscreened for almost four decades. Polanski eventually restored the movie from the original print and added an epilogue, in which he and Stewart shared a hearty conversation about their friendship and the evolution of motorsports.
8. Schumacher
Release year: 2021
Directed by: Hanns-Bruno Kammertöns, Vanessa Nöcker, Michael Wech
Cast: Michael Schumacher, Corinna Schumacher, Bernie Ecclestone, Sebastian Vettel
IMDb rating: 7.4/10
Michael Schumacher needs no introduction — his popularity transcends the world of Formula 1 as one of the most prominent figures in the sports fraternity. The seven-time world champion has been in isolation ever since his near-fatal accident in 2013, so the film served as a breath of fresh air for his fans when it was released on Netflix in 2021.
Like most documentaries, Schumacher employs archival footage and interviews to delve deep into the German driver’s life. The Schumacher family worked in close tandem with the filmmakers and helped them in every possible manner to ensure that the movie could be enjoyed by millions of fans around the globe. While it received mixed reviews, Schumacher still ranks among the best F1 movies of all time. After all, no discussion on Formula 1 is complete without mentioning the champion driver.
9. McLaren
Release year: 2017
Directed by: Roger Donaldson
Cast: Dwayne Cameron, Matt Coldrick, Mario Andretti, Alastair Caldwell
IMDb rating: 7.3/10
McLaren is yet another documentary on our list of the best F1 movies, but with a twist — it stars Dwayne Cameron in the role of Bruce McLaren, the titular protagonist. The film follows McLaren, the New Zealand-based racer, in his journey of founding the McLaren Racing Team.
While a few scenes were recreated, a major part of the film is supported by interviews and archival footage. This 92-minute feature was screened at the 2017 Sydney Film Festival and generally received positive reviews from critics.
10. Grand Prix
Release year: 1966
Directed by: John Frankenheimer
Cast: James Garner, Eva Marie Saint, Yves Montand, Toshiro Mifune
IMDb rating: 7.2/10
Summing up this list of the best F1 movies of all time is the one that started this journey, Grand Prix. At 176 minutes, the film easily has the highest run-time among all F1-themed movies. The best part? There’s hardly a dull moment.
Joseph Kosinski might have been in the limelight of late for combining an ensemble cast with groundbreaking filming techniques, but it was John Frankenheimer who pioneered this formula. Grand Prix featured internationally acclaimed stars of that era, including James Garner, Eva Marie Saint, Yves Montand, Brian Bedford and Jessica Walter. Even Toshiro Mifune, the Japanese actor known for his fabled partnership with Akira Kurosawa, played a small part in the production.
In terms of filming, the movie was shot on actual race tracks in Monaco and Belgium. It even featured mock-up Formula Three cars along with real-life F1 drivers, such as Phil Hill, Jim Clark, Juan Manuel Fangio, Dan Gurney, Lorenzo Bandini and Bruce McLaren.
The result? Grand Prix became one of the highest-grossing movies of 1966 and was praised by critics for its technical brilliance. It won three Oscars at the 39th Academy Awards, namely for Best Sound Effects, Best Film Editing and Best Sound.
(Hero Image Credits: IMDb/Rush, F1 Movie/Instagram and IMDb/Senna; Featured Image Credit: F1 Movie/Instagram)
This story first appeared here.
Note : The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.