Formula 1 today is a sport of cutting edge science, drivers who are athletes at the peak of fitness and tracks which place safety well above entertainment value. However, this hasn’t always been the case. Indeed, until the tragic death of Aryton Senna, F1 was not a sport for the faint of heart. If you go back to the 1950s, motor racing drivers took their lives into their hands every time they went out on the tarmac. Ferrari: Race to Immortality focusses on those who lived on the edge.
The 1950s was the deadliest decade in motor racing history. It was also the decade when Enzo Ferrari, head of Scuderia Ferrari, made his mark on the sport. He demanded that his drivers push themselves to the limit, and they often did this on and off the track. There was stiff competition to wear the jersey, with the likes of Peter Hawthorn, Peter Collins, Eugenio Castellotti, Luigi Musso and Alfonso de Portago all driving for the team. They were exciting drivers but all gave their lives chasing Enzo’s dream.
Ferrari: Race to Immortality tells their story using some exceptional archive footage and with the help of an array of experts and witnesses. It’s a fascinating ride through one of the most exciting periods of the sport. Whilst I’m not a fan of Formula One, there’s much to recommend Daryl Goodrich’s film. Whilst the story is told in a fairly conventional manner, it is done so at a brisk pace and by those who knew the drivers. It’s also clear that there was blood on the hands of Enzo Ferrari. Ferrari: Race to Immortality is a fascinating documentary about an era when racing drivers were superstars.
Ferrari: Race to Immortality is in cinemas on now and on Blu-Ray, DVD and digital platforms from Monday 6 November.
