What to watch over the festive period

With hopefully a little more free time on your hands now that the Christmas holidays are upon us, I’ve curated a small list of automotive offerings to see you through to the new year as you polish off what’s left of the turkey and mince pies.

Admittedly, the mix of (slightly) old and new films and TV shows is catered to those with a taste for motorsport. However, an expert understanding of the particulars is not required…although subscription services, unfortunately, are.

Senna

This year’s Formula 1 race weekends were frequently dominated by special liveries and events in tribute to the late Ayrton Senna. The Brazilian driver was a three-time F1 World Champion and will forever be seen as one of the all-time greats of the sport.

We were first given a glimpse of Netflix’s biopic miniseries created by Vicente Amorim and starring Gabriel Leone as Ayrton Senna back in April. It was recently released on the platform in late November and focuses on the Brazilian’s life on and off the track with an insight into his personality and relationships. The series starts with Senna’s beginnings in motor racing in the UK and finishes with his tragic death at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. Critics have praised Leone's performance and his uncanny resemblance to Senna.

Where to watch Senna

All six episodes of Senna are available to watch on Netflix.

Brawn: The Impossible Formula 1 Story

Swathes of new fans have taken interest in Formula 1 since the success of Netflix’s behind the scenes documentary series Drive to Survive. However, back in 2009, one of the most compelling stories in Formula 1 was occurring as Brawn GP and British driver Jenson Button shocked the automotive world by coming from nowhere to win the World Championship.

John Wick star and newly competitive racing driver Keanu Reeves presents this documentary, which analyses how Brawn achieved the impossible despite the team’s much smaller budget compared to its established rivals. Jenson Button is on hand to provide insight on Brawn’s blistering start to the season and how he and the team navigated their drop off in form to see them over the line. It is an emotional watch at times and essential viewing to any Formula 1 fan, old or new.

Where to watch Brawn: The Impossible Formula 1 Story

All episodes are available to watch on BBC iPlayer and Disney +.

Goodwood’s 2024 Highlights

It has been another bumper year of events at Goodwood in 2024 as the Duke of Richmond welcomed thousands of petrolheads to West Sussex to celebrate all things automotive.

The 81st Members’ Meeting, Festival of Speed and Revival events all provided different offerings to cater to differing tastes and ITV4 is providing comprehensive highlights to those who missed out in person.

A year of events at Goodwood kicked off in April with the 81st Members’ Meeting, which saw the opening and relocation of the Tyrrell Shed as well as the debut of Gordon Murray Automotive’s T.50s track-only hypercar driven by four-time IndyCar Series Champion Dario Franchitti.

When summer rolled around, it was the turn of the 2024 Festival of Speed, which celebrated the journey from the origins of motorsport to where we are today with its ‘Horseless to Hybrid – Revolutions in Power’ theme. It was time to don the vintage clobber in September for the Goodwood Revival which became the first motoring event to be run entirely on sustainable fuels.

Where to watch Goodwood’s 2024 highlights

ITV4 and ITVX are the places to watch Goodwood’s 2024 highlights with special programmes dedicated to each event.

Festival of Speed - 8:20am, Sunday 22 December
Festival of Speed - 8:30am, Monday 23 December
81st Members’ Meeting - 9:30am, Monday 23 December
Goodwood Revival - 8am, Wednesday 25 December

Rush

One of the greatest rivalries in motorsport history is the subject of Ron Howard’s Rush as British playboy James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) battles it out against the calculated Austrian Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl). The film portrays the duo’s rivalry from their humble beginnings in Formula 3 to the final race of the 1976 Formula 1 World Championship.

Howard’s direction bumps this up another level to your typical biographical sports film, with gripping, action packed race sequences and the defining scene showing Lauda’s crash at the Nurburgring as chilling as you are likely to witness in any film. Hemsworth and Brühl give excellent performances as Hunt and Lauda, with Brühl, in particular, able to mimic the Austrian’s voice to perfection.

The two drivers have widely different lifestyles, driving styles and attitudes towards life, and despite the film showing the two drivers to have resentment and, often, bitterness towards one another, Lauda’s final words show his admiration for his British counterpart, saying Hunt was "among the very few I liked, and even fewer I respected."

There is also a Driven connection, with podcast guest and Everything Wrong with Motorsport co-host Niki Faulkner credited as a double and precision driver coordinator on the film.

Where to watch Rush

Rush is now available on Netflix, Prime Video, and ITVX.

Ford v Ferrari

Matt Damon and Christian Bale star as automotive designer Carroll Shelby and driver Ken Miles in this brilliant portrayal of Ford’s battle with Ferrari during the 1960s. Henry Ford II tasks the two to build a car capable of beating the dominant Ferrari at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Bale’s performance as the maverick Miles is particularly memorable as he battles his fellow competitors, Ford executives and his own ego on the way to a shot at Le Mans glory.

Despite Hollywood’s unmatched ability to butcher motoring films, Ford v Ferrari bucks the trend and even earned a Best Picture nomination at the 92nd Academy Awards.

Where to watch Ford v Ferrari

Ford v Ferrari is available to watch with a Disney + subscription.

words: Mike Booth