Hidden gems: Must-watch Motor Sport documentaries you need to see

TT: Space Between
Space Between is an exhilarating look at what it takes to race at the Isle of Man TT, following two riders through the 2018 edition.

Privateer Dominic Herbertson is trying to make his mark, describing proceedings as “37 miles of pure pornography on a motorcycle”, whilst James Hillier explains his transition from amateur to professional whilst stepping up to the 1000cc class. Riders reflect on what motivates them take on what is arguably motor sport’s most dangerous event, putting their lives on the line for negligible financial gain.

TT legend Richard ‘Milky’ Quayle walks viewers through an accident which left him close to death, and also analyses the riding skills and qualities needed to master the Man.

Steve McQueen: The Man and Le Mans
This feature-length documentary tells the intriguing story of how Steve McQueen made his motor sport opus, Le Mans. After being released to a fairly lukewarm reception, the film has since taken on a cult status with race fans.

Angered by the racing inaccuracies of James Garner’s Grand Prix (McQueen urinated in the former’s flower bed to show his displeasure), the Bullitt star set out to create a film with unparalleled motor sport realism.

By being presented in a more analytical way, viewers are able to appreciate anew just how incredible the film’s shots of La Sarthe really are. McQueen insisted on filming the cars at racing speed for maximum realism, and boy does it show. Legendary cars such as the Porsche 917 and Ferrari 512 only add to a film of true racing beauty.

The story of the picture’s difficult birth is compelling, with unplanned car crashes (on and off set), McQueen having to contend with being on Charles Manson’s hit-list and the slight problem of not having a script or story line. Racing legends such as Derek Bell combine with film stars like Neile Adams to tell the tale, making this a unique and unmissable documentary.

Jochen Rindt: Uncrowned King
It feels as if the mercurial talent of Jochen Rindt is almost forgotten amongst the other fabled Formula 1 stories, but this documentary does a superlative job of shining a light on the series’ only posthumous champion.

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko shares personal stories of growing up with his school friend Rindt, as he remembers tearing through mountain passes in an older relative’s car, getting expelled from school and making their early steps together in racing.

Rindt’s biographer David Tremayne gives an insight into the landmark events in the Austrian’s life, whilst Jackie Stewart recalls the true tragedy of Rindt’s untimely end. It’s a must-watch for any F1 fan.

Willy T Ribbs: Motorsport’s Black Pioneer
The feature-length film Uppity covers the pioneering life and times of Willy T. Ribbs, but this Sky feature is also more than worthy of viewing. In a sign of the times, Ted Kravitz beams himself into Ribbs’ Texas abode via video call to interview the first ever black man to drive an F1 car.

Taking on a more direct narrative role than in Uppity, the Californian speaks of the hurdles he had to overcome to make it in motor sport, particularly the sometimes open racism and discrimination he suffered.

Anecdotes include persuading Muhammad Ali to jog with him in Hyde Park, being given a test by Bernie Ecclestone and being managed by boxing impresario Don King, as well as becoming the first African-Amercian to qualify for the Indy 500. Most poignantly, Ribbs gives his in-depth take on what makes Lewis Hamilton a unique racer and a leading spokesperson in the worldwide fight against racism.

Endurance
This documentary follows the Porsche factory outfit’s GT effort at both Le Mans and the Nürburgring 24 Hours, with the two toughest endurance races on the calendar back-to-back.

Set as the curtain call on the longest World Endurance Championship season ever, the 2019 Le Mans race brought to a close a championship-winning season for the marque’s GTE drivers while the Nürburgring event was full of emotion.

F1: Drive to Survive, Season 2
Although the 2020 F1 season may have stalled, there’s still plenty of fuel in the tank of last year’s racing, as Drive to Survive, the Formula 1 documentary from Netflix, proves

Whilst anyone with a basic knowledge of grand prix racing will have to endure explanations of how F1 works every five minutes, the level of detail and behind-the-scenes footage still makes it highly viewable.

A unique selling point of this series is that for the first time Mercedes and Ferrari have allowed access. The Mercedes episode is suitably melodramatic, with the team mourning over a disastrous weekend at Hockenheim. If you can bear the team going into buzzword overkill in an attempt to drag themselves out of a motoring-mire of despondency, then it certainly does make for an interesting watch.

You also see Haas go into full-on meltdown, the Red Bull young driver pressure-cooker in full swing and Renault bring superstition into its bid for elite-level sporting performance.

Crash and Burn
Tommy Byrne must be the only person bold enough to have stolen Ayrton Senna’s car wheels. His pithy summary of his own career “it hasn’t been a terrible life, I just lost out on about a hundred million dollars” lets you know this is not your average race documentary. The hair-raising tale of the Northern Irish firebrand’s rise to the top and then his almost equally meteoric fall ultimately makes for a brilliant film.

Talking heads such as Eddie Jordan, Martin Brundle and Gary Anderson assure the viewer that Byrne had all the talent to make it as an elite driver, it was just everything else about him that was the problem.

Byrne’s amusingly sarcastic verdict on Senna – “You would have thought he was the second coming of Christ” – is a refreshing antidote to the usual deification of the Brazilian, correlating with everything else that is unconventional about this intriguing racing character.

Truth in 24
Truth in 24 looks at Audi’s run-up to Le Mans in 2008. Narrated by Jason Statham, this era of blue-riband endurance events is seen as a golden age by some, with the German brand locked in a tight battle with Peugeot.

Audi gives unprecedented behind-the-scenes access as it searches for its fifth-straight Le Mans win. Allan McNish, Tom Kristensen, Emanuele Pirro and others talk about their own challenges and personal struggles in taking on what many believe to be the greatest race of all.

Michael Fassbender: Road to Le Mans
One of the more left-field options, but also evidence of the in-depth possibilities of the internet. Michael Fassbender: Road To Le Mans charts the progress of the Hollywood star as he tries to reach a driving standard worthy of competing at the enduro classic, whilst being tutored by the Porsche Driving Experience instructors. Being an expert in dramatic effect, Fassbender manages to give the narrative arc of his learning process an emotional bent.

The Irish-German film star scrapes and brands his way through Porsche Driving Experiences in a 911 before training for Supercup races with a full-blown RSR. Season 2 features Fassbender making the huge step up to the European Le Mans Series.

Hunt v Lauda
You’ve seen story of Rush embellished for dramatic effect, but what really happened in F1’s greatest rivalry? Well, as F1 seasons go, 1976 is fairly hard to beat. Back then, F1 was an unashamed globe-trotting circus, with inter-team skull-duggery and cigarette-smoking podium finishers being the order of the day.

Playboy James Hunt is elevated to top team McLaren as it looks to upset the Niki Lauda – Ferrari axis. The two battle it out fiercely, before rioting crowds, Lauda being read the Last Rites (twice) and a monsoon-themed season finale all make for an incredible year.

The film manages to convey the excitement of perhaps the definitive F1 season without ever overdramatising it. In contrast to Rush, Hunt v Lauda also highlights that though the pair might have been chalk and cheese, they had a strong mutual respect, and even friendship.

The film is worth watching just for the stunning archive footage, with the McLaren, Ferrari and Lotus cars all being iconic. Hunt v Lauda tells the story of 1976 as it really was.