Covid-19: Driven to distraction

Want a fossil-fuelled flick to watch during lockdown? Here are some favourites.

With the coronavirus forcing us to stay in our bubbles, here’s a list of some of the best petrolhead films you can watch. Several (Uppity, Formula One: Drive to Survive) currently showing on Netflix, others easily found on YouTube and quite a few availed through subscription channels.

 McLaren: National pride alone ensures this one has pole position, yet frankly even if he wasn’t a Kiwi, the story of Bruce McLaren is enough of a ripping yarn to deserve to one of the greats. AS others have noted, what is most striking about this documentary is it makes clear the astounding dedication and loyalty he inspired in those who worked for him on his journey from humble beginnings to the top echelon of motorsport.

 Life on the Limit: Insight from past and present drivers into the dangers of motorsport past and present is riveting. Combining rare and archival footage, the documentary emphasises just how difficult it is to balance safety and thrills in a sport that is inherently dangerous. 

Rush: Yeah, okay, purists can pick holes, but Ron Howard's movie really captures the intensity of the battle between James Hunt and Niki Lauda for the 1976 Formula One title and the Austrian’s adtounding recovery from his Nurburgring crash.

 Williams:  Sweeping aside the usual PR bullshit to provide an impressively … well … frank insight into this family and its F1 history. There’s a real sense of sibling tension evident and the more you learn about the founder, the less you necessarily like him. But fair dues; F1 is a hard graft and how this true family business rose to greatness and keeps beating the odds is captivating.

Crash and Burn: Irish racer Tommy Byrne was once mentioned in the same breath as Ayrton Senna and this film considers the reasons he never became a household name, despite the best efforts of supporters including NZ motorsport identity Murray Taylor, who managed Byrne for a whole (and, sadly, doesn’t feature in the film).

 Ferrari race to immortality: An unflinching insight into the golden era of the 1950s when Ferrari was rising to prominence. Tragedy and triumph occur side by side with Enzo Ferrari at the centre building his empire. Tons of original footage, some quite gruelling.

 Senna: Another shoo-in and even though you’ve probably already seen it at least once, it’s still worth another viewing to remind just how massive Ayrton Senna’s talent and imprint was.

 Road: Think Senna but on two wheels. The story of the famous Dunlop family and their road racing stories of unparalleled triumphs, and terrible tragedy. Easily as captivating as TT: Life on the Edge.

 TT: Closer to the Edge: You could watch this one 100 times and still be challenged to understand everything Guy Martin says. But it’s ultimately all about the bikes and the heartless challenge that is the Isle of Man TT. A great tribute to Kiwi rider Paul Dobbs, who died in the 2010 races.

 Winning - The Racing Life of Paul Newman: Another low-key gem, this look at the racing life of Paul Newman reminds that, in addition to being a great actor, he was a pretty handy driver who created a decent race team.

 Truth in 24: Sure, Audi commissioned thisdocumentary detailing its preparation for the 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans, but all credit, it didn’t seek to influence or sanitise the story of the team’s rather challenging build-up to a heck of a race.

Uppity: The first African-American man to have tested a Formula One car (he did so in 1986) and to compete in the Indianapolis 500 (tested in 1985, raced in 1991). And you’ve still probably never heard of Wilyl T Ribbs, right? Well, this impressive look into an amazing career of a driver whose battles against racism were as tough as the competition he faced down on the track will be an eye-opener.

Formula One, Drive to Survive: A simply unmatched series in terms of access to the teams, drivers and others involved in Formula One, an outstanding piece of television whether you like F1 or not. Series 1 is better than Series 2, simply because there’s less rawness (except from Guenther Steiner), but every minute is worth savouring.

The 24-hour War: You’ve seen Ford vs Ferrari and wondered how true it was to the real tale of an amazing rivalry? Well, this documentary, based around the book of the same title by AJ Baime, is a must-see, even if it also doesn’t give proper credit to the three Kiwis who helped the Blue Oval finally taste success: McLaren and Chris Amon in the lead car, Denny Hulme in the No.2.

 A Life of Speed, Juan Manuel Fangio: A low-key presence on Netflix at the moment, this new documentary looking at the first megastar of Formula One is a cracker.

 Grand Prix: The fictional story-line is sappy, but forget that. This 1966 Oscar-winner is worth watching for the cinematography, racing scenes and of course the beautiful Formula 1 cars of the 1960s. Check out the cameos by Graham Hill and Bruce McLaren and note that the helmet worn by lead actor James Garner is in the same colours as that of Chris Amon, but with the layout reversed.

Yet to be seen, but looking good:

Heroes: From Manish Pandey, the acclaimed writer of Senna, this tells the story of double F1 champion Mika Hakkinen, Le Mans legend Tom Kristensen, WRC's only female rally winner Michele Mouton, former Ferrari driver Felipe Massa and F1 legend Michael Schumacher – represented by an empty chair at the dining room table where they all gather. Lots of footage, great stories, expect to get a bit teary.

 Yellow Yellow Yellow, The IndyCar Safety Team: The happenstance of this behind-the-scenes look at the work of IndyCar’s crack Safety Team being filmed during the 2015 race means it  becomes a focus on their professionalism dealing with the awful accident that befell James Hinchcliffe.

Hurley: This 2019 production by Patrick Dempsey honours the impressive on-track successes of legendary Porsche works driver Hurley Hayward and also allows him to open up, for the first time, about his deepest secret - being gay in the macho world of 1970s’ motorsport.

Victory by Design: Hosted by former racing driver Alain de Cadenet, this docuseries is a walkthrough the history and design of some of the most famous sportscar brands in the world – Porsche, Maserati, Aston Martin included. It can be found on YouTube, albeit in parts.