Best racing films and box sets to stream on Netflix, Amazon and iPlayer — updated
Stuck inside without any racing to watch? We've sifted through the hours of series and box sets to find the best racing films
DPPI
With the longest season in Formula 1 history now done and dusted, and many other motor sport series wrapping up before the Christmas break, what is there to watch?
We’ve selected some of the best motor sport films, series and box set offerings available to stream now on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer and Disney+.
From the iconic rivalries of Formula 1 to the wheel-to-wheel, around the clock action at Le Mans, there’s something for everyone.
Netflix
Rush
Few reading this will have not seen Rush since it was released in 2013.
But in case your memories are blurred, the film pits playboy racer James Hunt against the exemplary professional Niki Lauda, the backdrop being their 1976 F1 title battle.
The picture is both exciting and aesthetically pleasing – the ideal re-watch with all real on-track action paused until the new year.
The story has been overdramatised for effect; it’s fairly well known that Hunt and Lauda were on reasonably good terms as far as F1 adversaries go.
To be fair, Lauda did say Rush was “80 per cent right”, so who’s going to argue with a three-time world champion?
Senna: No Fear, No Limits, No Equal
Beloved by many racing fans, this gripping documentary about Ayrton Senna’s meteoric rise through the motor sport ranks is a brilliant watch.
Blending archival footage with candid interviews the film captures Senna’s unparalleled skill, fearless driving, and spiritual passion for racing in motor sport’s top echelon.
It delves into his intense rivalry with Alain Prost, offering a compelling exploration of the human drama behind the sport, and also focuses in one some of the Brazilian’s greatest drives: from his wet weather masterclass at Monaco with Toleman and his first grand prix victory at Estoril with Lotus to his first and only win in Sao Paulo with McLaren.
Beyond the track, Senna is portrayed as a deeply compassionate figure, committed to his Brazilian roots and social causes. His tragic death at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix serves as a poignant conclusion, underscoring his lasting impact on racing and fans worldwide.
Senna
Fancy a dramatised version of the above? Senna is a brand new Netflix series, released in November 2024, which gives more of a personal view of Ayrton’s rise through the motor sport ranks.
Produced by Gullane Entretenimento in collaboration with Senna’s family, this series is a tribute to the Brazilian — 20 years on from his death — and offers a different perspective of many of his career-defining moments.
It details his early rivalries in karting with Peter Koene and Terry Fullerton; in Formula Ford with Enrique Mansilla; and in Formula 3 with Martin Brundle, before following Senna’s journey from Toleman to Lotus and then to McLaren — with Alain Prost cast, again, as the series’ main ‘villain’.
Schumacher
In similar ‘Senna’ style, this documentary details the motor sport journey of its namesake — Michael Schumacher — and it’s every bit as thrilling.
From his rags to riches karting story and his surprise F1 debut with Jordan at the 1991 Belgian Grand Prix to his record-breaking reign of dominance with Ferrari, this film offers a nuanced portrait of Schumacher’s journey from a humble upbringing to winning seven drivers’ world championships.
It highlights his relentless drive, tactical genius, and unyielding passion for racing, while also touching on the personal sacrifices and challenges he faced. Post-retirement and his tragic skiing accident are sensitively explored, portraying Schumacher not just as a racing legend, but as a devoted family man and an enduring icon.
Race for Glory: Audi vs Lancia
If you’re looking for something a little less F1-based, this true David vs Goliath story could be the perfect alternative.
Race for Glory details the intense rivalry between Audi and Lancia at the 1983 Rally World Championship, with the latter battling to regain its former glory.
It may not rank as highly as Rush or Senna with film critics, but it’s still worth the watch — if only to watch Germany’s Walter Röhrl and Finland’s Markku Alén blast through various bits of countryside in a Lancia Rally 037.
Formula 1 Drive to Survive — Season 1-6
With the 2024 Formula 1 championship now all wrapped up, the seventh series of Netflix’s smash-hit docuseries, Drive to Survive is well on its way.
But before it lands ahead of the 2025 campaign, it may be worth refreshing your memory on the on-and-off-track antics that have hit the world championship over the last few seasons.
Netflix cameras have been the F1 pitlane since 2018 and captured almost all of the biggest storylines: from Daniel Ricciardo’s blockbuster move from Red Bull to Renault and the Covid-plauged 2020 season to the various controversies of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen’s intense rivalry in 2021 and the Dutchman’s record-breaking dominance in 2023.
If any series is ought to scratch your F1 itch, it’s this one.
Disney+
Ford v Ferrari
It’s perhaps the ultimate endro-racer story.
Ford v Ferrari recalls the events of the 1966 Le Mans 24 Hours, where Ford, led by the legendary Carol Shelby (played by Matt Damon) and Ken Miles (played by Christian Bale), take on the might of Ferrari around La Sarthe.
The BAFTA-winning picture is every bit as thrilling as the real story, and details Ford’s early failed efforts to conqueror motor sport’s greatest race. But, year-by-year, Miles and Shelby gradually turn the Ford GT40 into the bullet-shaped icon it remains today.
BBC iPlayer
Brawn: The Impossible Formula 1 Story
The 2009 Formula 1 season might have felt like a blockbuster unfolding before your eyes and it has now been given the cinematic treatment it deserves in a new documentary, Brawn: The Impossible Formula 1 Story.
The four-part series – which is available on BBC iPlayer – is narrated by Keanu Reeves and features masses of unseen archive material plus over 45 interviews with the great, less good and unsung of F1.
But at the fore stands Jenson Button and Ross Brawn, the driver and director behind the ultimate motor sport underdog story, who walk Reeves through the story of an F1 champion that was never meant to be.