An idea for an F1 film
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I was watching the film Rush recently and it got me thinking, if they were to do another simmilar film based on one years chamiponship, (assuming that they can agree all the legal/ budgetery stuff of course) which year would you choose?
for me it would be 2009 for several different reasons including
The double diffuser debate before the season starts
Honda spening best part of 18 months and spend millions on developing a car that they never race as they withdraw there team at the end of 2008
Brawn team rising from the ashes
World champion teams Mclaren and Ferrai seriously uncompetative
Red bull sarting to show world chamiponship winning potentail
Button struggling mid season
The accident in Hungary
Jenson button winning the championship with drive from disatorus qualifyingwhat are your thoughts?
While 2009 is definitely an interesting season, I see some problems with the ‘set up’ of the script, especially for a larger audience.
Rush kept it rather clean; it established Lauda and Hunt, F1 racing and specifically the position of Hesketh vs. top teams and let the story of 1976 be told by rather cinematic moments.
For a 2009 season, the establishing of Honda as a manufacturer with poor results would take some time, as well as the positioning of Ferrari and McLaren. The saga between late 2008 and Melbourne 2009 also doesn’t strike me as a very interesting one for cinema.
The season itself could be told in the same manner as Rush: highlighting notable characters and racers, but Red Bull would also need its backstory told and to truly capture the feeling of Button’s mid season struggles, you’d need to point out the criticism he has had since day one as well.
The accident in Hungary would, in a film about the season, be a rather strange side-step, even if it does introduce new characters, it is not an injury that (again, for the sake of cinema, I’m not trying to throw Felipe under the bus here) has a very large effect on the plot. With the title being decided without victory and with a race to go, maybe the facts would need some tinkering as well.
I think basing a film on a season would simply be too hard to get right from a cinematic standpoint. Rush was more about Hunt vs. Lauda than it was about the 1976 season. If a movie based on a rivalry in F1 were too be made, I’d personally prefer Senna vs. Prost, Schumacher vs. Hakkinen (there’s a character that Hollywood could turn into a comeback kid of sorts) or even Hamilton vs. Alonso (though one could argue that Hollywood already tried that with Driven).
I think 2014 could be good. Overplay Nico and Lewis’ childhood relationship, a scene where they hug after winning a race in 2013 (a bit of making it up), the season’s big cinematic moments and some of the off track mind games. Possibly a scene where they talk to each other about Bianchi’s crash and of course the finale in Abu Dhabi. 2008 comes to mind, but not for the obvious reason. There were a lot of controversial moments in Belgium, Japan (I believe) and Singapore.
Just read the following summary of the 2014 season after the Austin race on the BBC website worth a read if you have 5 mins spare
I think Button said at the Australian Grand Prix that year:
If anybody wants to make a movie about Formula One, now is the time to do it.
It’s one of those fairytale seasons really with lots of controversy too. It would make a good film I feel. Quite a few seasons would.
Massa’s accident is relevant – him being one of the protagonists from a 2008 Brazil open, contrasted with Lewis and Kimi’s revival after his accident. Combined with Button’s coming through from an initial struggle, it would show the highs and lows, and how it can all change very quickly, with Kimi’s subsequent win at Spa being fully lapped up in the film.
Vettel would emerge as ‘the next big thing’, from Brazil 2008 to title challenger in 2009, where Brazil is another good climax, with Button coming through the field. This flows with a dramatic opening, of one of the best races of the last decade, but this time seen through the eyes of Button (Qual: 17th; Race: 13th +1 lap), as well as from upfront.
A 2009 film would have to place itself in the context of 2008’s title battle climax, the subsequent rule changes, big financial crash, things looking shaky, the order jumbling up with teams eventually leaving, to Mercedes’ 2010 arrival and the impending comeback of Michael Schumacher, along with new teams and fresh blood to replace the lost manufacturers.
If the film was to included two very different personalities but are battling for the championship what about Senna/ Prost in 1990?
Prost the calculating professional doing everything by the book and the reining champion battling to get Ferrari a championship for the first time in 11 years
Senna showing a Latin temperament and loved/ loathed for various questionable driving at times the arguably moral reining world champion
that would be worth seeing
@f1fanf1fan 2010. It has the intra team battle between Seb and Webber. It has Alonso at his “second best” (well, 2012 was his prime) winning important races. It has the crash at Turkey between Seb and Mark (especially after “sweet Monaco”, and also with Button and Hamilton battling soooo close in the same race. It has RB’s double DNF in Korea. Maybe as overtaking-related it was not a really exciting season, but the drama in Abu Dhabi, Ferrari’s wrong call to worry about Mark and let Seb clinch it, and the fact that Vettel didn’t lead the WDC until the very last moment is thrilling enough for me.
You make a good point about 2010 season but you would have to include the inter team tension and drama of British grand prix qualfying when Vettle got Webbers new front wing
Side-step: rather than a single season, I think following a single driver might have its appeal. There’s some high drama just waiting for a Hollywood-style tear squeezer (like Stewart grooming Cevert to be his heir, only to lose him just when the time was right).
F1 2009: The movie
Movie begins in Brazil 2008. Shows Jenson struggling and title contenders. After the iconic final lap, it cuts to Jenson’s car on fire. The film then shows Jenson pondering if F1 is worth it, then he is told the news that Honda will not be on the grid next year. The Honda factory gets shut down, with Jenson there alone by himself when the lights go out. The film shows the moment when Brawn discovers the double diffuser, and focuses on getting the team back together. There is mass confusion in the paddock in Australia as no one expects Brawn GP to be there, let alone in winning the race. The film focuses on Vettel vs Button for the title instead of Barrichello, as Vettel was already introduced in Brazil 2008. Hungary 2008 is a key point, when all the drivers respond to Massa’s crash. The season continues with Brawn and Button clinching both championships after a dramatic race in Brazil. The film ends there, leaving the audience to dwell on the contrast between the two races separated by one year.
Of course there are a lot of inaccuracies, but I feel like this is the most “Rush” like you can get the season to be.
I’ve heard him be called ‘Hollywood Hamilton’ (a response to Britney for Nico), but most years that Lewis has been in F1 could easily be covered.. he could be a great driver to follow as well.
Who knows in a few years time there might be a Senna style film about Hamilton and his carrier the highs wining races/ his 2008 championship (maybe the 2014 one as well?), the lows being disqualified from the 2009 Melbourne grand prix for miss leading the stewards. Could be a straight to DVD release as I bought something similar online when Schumacher retired in 2012
Just one thing: The music track should be from my favourite band: Rush (when a movie called “Rush” didn’t have anything from them it felt a bit unfair).
The 1st half of Xanadu (’77) would make a pretty good soundtrack for on-track battles, I think.
And the title track of their 2002 album Vapor Trails would be good in the credits or in a scene where a main character (read Button) is alone pondering over something (read his future after Honda withdrew).
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