The 10 best racing films of all time, ranked
The release of F1: The Movie has gotten us thinking about the other great films in racing canon. Here, we rank the best of them from ten to one
By Cayle Reid
MOTOR RACING IS an innately cinematic sport. The tension of a close finish. The scream of a high-powered engine. The blur of speed as man and machine dance with death at speeds above 300 kilometres an hour. It’s a sport that’s practically built for the big screen – which is something filmmakers have been able to recognise for decades.
But what separates a great racing film from a good one? It’s not just about the cars. A good racing film captures the stakes, the rivalries and the characters behind the wheel. They don’t just show us speed, they make us feel it. They evoke the agony and ecstasy of competition, the sacrifice it demands and the passion that fuels it.
In recent years, thanks to franchises like Fast & Furious and big budget blockbusters like F1: The Movie, racing films have exploded into the mainstream. But while nitrous tanks and slow-motion drifts are indeed thrilling, the best films go deeper, using racing as a metaphor for ambition, mortality and the freedom that comes with living life on the edge.
So, strap in. These are the 10 best racing movies of all time, ranked.
What are the best racing movies?
10. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)
You might not expect a Will Ferrell comedy to make this list, but Talladega Nights is both a hilarious parody and a surprisingly faithful love letter to NASCAR. With irresistibly quotable lines, absurd scenarios (“If you ain’t first, you’re last!”) and a deep bench of comic talent, it satirises the sport without mocking it. Underneath the slapstick, there’s genuine commentary on masculinity, corporate sponsorships and the pressure to be the best. Shake and bake, baby.
9. Speed Racer (2008)
A misunderstood masterpiece on release, Speed Racer has since become a cult classic. The Wachowskis took the vibrant, over-the-top style of the original anime and supercharged it into a kaleidoscopic live-action spectacle. It’s not a traditional racing film – candy-coloured fever dream would be a more accurate description – but beneath the visual chaos is a surprisingly heartfelt story. A technical marvel that was ahead of its time, Speed Racer is an unapologetic love letter to racing as art.
8. Ford v Ferrari (2019)
This Oscar-winning biopic is as much about corporate ego as it is about racing, chronicling Ford’s audacious attempt to dethrone Ferrari at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans. Matt Damon and Christian Bale lead a film that balances boardroom drama with some of the most thrilling race sequences ever put to screen. Bale’s portrayal of Ken Miles is the emotional engine of the story, reminding us that the best racers don’t always win, but always leave everything on the track.
7. The Fast and the Furious (2001)
Before it became a global action franchise about skydiving cars and submarine chases, The Fast and the Furious was a street-level crime thriller steeped in early-2000s car culture. It’s not the most accurate film, but it is undeniably influential. It brought racing back into the zeitgeist and made tuning, drifting and quarter-miles cool again. Plus, Vin Diesel’s gravelly ode to family in subsequent TFATF films would become one of Hollywood’s most enduring memes.
6. Cars (2006)
“But that’s a kids movie!” Blah, Blah, Blah. We don’t care. Pixar’s Cars rocks. It might be animated, but it’s one of the most exhilarating depictions of racing ever put to screen. Lightning McQueen’s journey from an arrogant hotshot to a humble hero mirrors the arcs of real-life greats, and the film’s love for small-town Americana and classic motorsport culture runs deep. With references to NASCAR legends, heart-pumping race sequences and a bravura performance by Paul Newman in his final role, Cars teaches kids (and adults) that winning isn’t everything and that slowing down can help you grow.
5. Days of Thunder (1990)
Often described as Top Gun with stock cars, Days of Thunder is a full-throttle, glossy, big-budget celebration of speed. Tom Cruise plays Cole Trickle, a hotshot rookie with a lot to prove, and the film leans hard into ’90s bravado. It may be cliché, but it’s eminently rewatchable and undeniably stylish. Plus, it introduced NASCAR to a whole new global audience.
4. Le Mans (1971)
Steve McQueen’s passion project is perhaps the purest racing film ever made. There’s minimal dialogue and no backstory-heavy character arcs. Just the 24 Hours of Le Mans in all its hypnotic glory. The film is meditative, immersive and obsessively authentic, using real footage from the 1970 race and McQueen himself behind the wheel. While it may not appeal to everyone, to motorsport purists, it’s cinema’s closest approximation of actually being in the cockpit.
3. Rush (2013)
One of the most true-to-reality racing dramas ever made, Rush dives into the legendary rivalry between James Hunt and Niki Lauda. Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl are pitch-perfect as the devil-may-care playboy and the methodical tactician, respectively. What makes Rush special isn’t just the beautiful racing footage, it’s the psychological duel between two men who hate each other but also drive each other to greatness. A visceral, character-driven ride that humanises the danger of F1.
2. Grand Prix (1967)
A cinematic pioneer, Grand Prix was decades ahead of its time. Director John Frankenheimer used innovative camera techniques to film real F1 races, strapping cameras to cars and capturing the sport’s raw speed like never before. The plot is classic ’60s melodrama, but the race sequences are jaw-dropping. This film laid the groundwork for every racing epic that followed, and it remains a visual marvel that earned three Oscars for its technical prowess.
1. Senna (2010)
More than just a documentary, Senna is a spiritual portrait of one of F1’s greatest legends. Using archival footage and voiceovers (rather than the talking heads and retrospective commentary we usually see in such documentaries), Senna crafts a gripping narrative that captures its subject’s rise, his rivalry with Alain Prost and his tragic death at Imola in 1994. It’s a deeply emotional watch, even for non-fans, because Senna’s story transcends sport – showing us the triumphs and pitfalls of living life at full throttle. No actor could have captured what this documentary achieves.
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