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Never stop watching F1 thanks to these streaming movies and shows
We're just 10 weeks away from the start of the 2025 Formula 1 season in Australia! How can you fill those weekends with racing content until the lights go out down under? From Netflix to Amazon Prime, and YouTube videos, we’ve got you covered.
Anthony Wood
Edited: Jan 2, 2025, 3:49 PM
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Jenson Button, Brawn GP BGP001 Mercedes
Photo by: Charles Coates / Motorsport Images
The 2024 Formula 1 season may have come to a close, leaving fans jonesing for anything to satiate their racing fix. Luckily, throughout the sport’s 75-year history, passionate fans who happen to be in the filmmaking business have taken to telling these speed-driven stories through numerous movies, documentaries, docuseries, even YouTube content creators — creating a deep back catalog of racing and F1-related content. All of it, basically available at your fingertips.
Whether you’re waiting out the last few extra days away from the office into the new year, or just need more F1 content to watch before the season finally gets underway, here’s a few things to add to your watchlist.
Films
Rush (2013) - Fictionalized films about the upper echelon racing series have been few and far between, but that could be changing with the rise in the popularity of the sport. Nonetheless, if you haven’t already seen Rush, this should be near or at the top of your viewing list. Perhaps one of the most high-profile F1 movies in recent memory, the Ron-Howard-directed thrill ride follows the legendary rivalry between Niki Lauda (brilliantly played by Daniel Bruhl) and James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) during the 1970s. Two vastly differing personalities, who share an equally burning desire to win, this dramatized version of events sees the duo rising through the ranks, before focusing on Hunt’s 1976 championship-winning season and Lauda’s remarkable comeback following his life-altering crash in Germany.
The critically lauded, BAFTA award-winning movie is currently available to rent or buy via Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Fandango, and YouTube.
Grand Prix (1966) - A truly remarkable technological and cinematic achievement for its time, Grand Prix takes fans inside the cockpit of an F1 car in glorious widescreen. Director John Frankenheimer mixed fiction with reality, opting to use actual race footage while casting numerous F1 stars such as Graham Hill, Juan Manuel Fangio, and Jim Clark to perform alongside the era’s most notable actors like James Garner and Eva Marie Saint.
Beginning on the streets of Monte Carlo and ending in Italy, the movie documents its own take on the 1966 season. Take a trip back in time with this triple-Oscar winner on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Fandango, or YouTube.
Documentaries
Senna (2010) - While F1 fictional films are rather small in numbers, documentaries on the series and its talent are quite plentiful. But one stands above the rest as a must-see. Released to huge critical acclaim, the 2010 documentary follows the life of three-time world champion Ayrton Senna before his untimely death at Imola in 1994. The film spends nearly two hours charting his rise up the ranks, his fierce rivalry with Alain Prost, and personal life away from the madness that is and was F1.
Currently available to watch on Netflix, YouTube, and Amazon Prime Video.
1: Life on the Limit (2013) - Racing is an immensely dangerous sport, and it would be even more dangerous today had it not been for the drivers and tragic events that pushed for changes. Life on the Limit focuses on the safety enhancements made throughout F1’s history and includes interviews with some of the biggest names in the sport’s history, from Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel, to Jackie Stewart and Niki Lauda.
Find it on Amazon Prime Video or for digital purchase on some streaming platforms.
Schumacher (2021) - It’s been over a decade since Michael Schumacher’s fateful accident that has kept the F1 great out of the public eye. This documentary takes fans for a sneak peek at his life, beyond his public persona featuring exclusive insights from his closest family, along with F1 stars such as Mika Hakkinen, Damon Hill, and Ross Brawn.
You can watch the story of the seven-time world champion and the sport’s biggest icon on Netflix.
Other worthwhile docs to check out if you’re looking for more: Hammond Meets Moss (2010), Williams (2017), McLaren (2017), and The Grid (1981).
Docuseries
Formula 1: Drive To Survive (2019-present) - Drive To Survive (DTS) has been pivotal in the rapidly accelerating growth of the sport and the notoriety of its personalities worldwide, coined the ‘Netflix phenomenon.’ This docuseries is filled to the brim with exclusive behind-the-scenes content and provides a fascinating insight into what life is like for F1’s stars both in the cockpit and away from the pit wall.
Brawn: The Impossible Formula 1 Story (2024) - Narrated by none other than actor Keanu Reeves, The Impossible Formula 1 Story delves deep into the improbable success of the 2009 Brawn GP team. 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 incredible run during their only season on the grid, to win the 2009 World Drivers’ Championship.Meticulously recounted by the likes of Brawn, Jenson Button, and Rubens Barrichello, this remarkable tale reminisces one of the most memorable seasons in the sport’s history, while also helping introduce newcomers to F1. The whole series is available on Hulu.
Max Verstappen: Anatomy of a Champion (2023) - One big thing, or rather driver personality, somewhat amiss through the five seasons of DTS (mentioned above) is Max Verstappen. The four-time world champion draws a lot of attention because of his actions on the grid, but when it comes to being in front of the camera, he’s rather mum, or just avoids them altogether. But, beginning in 2017, director Nick Hoedeman built a special relationship with Verstappen that allowed him not only into parts of his life that he and some of his closest people know, but to film it as well. It’s likely one of the few ways you’ll get to know a little more about the Dutchman, unless you know him in real life. You can stream it with a subscription on Roku Channel and Amazon Prime Video.
Exclusively YouTube
Formula 1 - Brands, series, and outlets in general are getting more savvy with using YouTube — utilizing their access and archives to let fans further into the “inner circle” of fandom. F1 certainly has with their Top 10 videos, putting together excellent archival footage from races throughout the sport’s history, focusing on topics such as Pit Lane Drama, Dramatic Final Laps, and in-season Battles, along with the best individual driver or track moments.
Other excellent recurring segments on the series’ page involve one-on-one interviews with the drivers, giving insight to their vastly differing personalities. And Grill the Grid, where drivers are quizzed on topics ranging from identifying their competitors by childhood photos to naming every F1 world champion — which is worth watching just for Sebastian Vettel’s answer alone.
Lando Norris/Quadrant - With over two million subscribers across two channels (Lando Norris and Quadrant), the McLaren driver is easily the most active YouTuber on the grid. His personal channel is filled with videos from the pit lane, giving fans a backstage pass to his life primarily via vlogs and Q&As. As for Quadrant - Norris’ apparel brand - their channel features a mix of racing, motoring, and gaming content, including collaborations with fellow YouTubers.
Williams Racing - The storied Formula 1 team has been around the sport for decades, but certainly isn’t shy about jumping into the new age of media. While a lot of the content surrounds the life of the drivers on their docket, one of the more popular videos circulating among fans late in the 2024 season was the team rebuilding its beaten cars after Brazil — in hopes to have at least one car per driver ready for Las Vegas. You feel for the mechanics as they dig through a box of destroyed parts to attempt the impossible. You feel even more for them when one of those cars goes into the wall during qualifying at Vegas.
The Moving Bricks - Sure, you’ve watched every 2024 season race, but did you watch the race in Lego form as well? Since 2020, Moving Bricks TV has meticulously built F1 tracks in Lego form, and then using stop-motion, recreates portions of the race, narrated by some of the real race commentary. They’re not full races, but the 10 minutes of race content is worth the watch.
Motorsport.com - It's time for a plug, and rightfully so. Motorsport.com’s team has been hard at work conducting some fascinating interviews with F1 stars. Recent uploads include “Behind The Visor with Jenson Button” where he talks about his 2009 championship-winning season, along with a “Road Trippin’” episode, where Senior Writer Emily Selleck hits the road to Vegas with now Red Bull driver Liam Lawson and his girlfriend for an in-depth interview.
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