Have Your Say – What Story Needs to be Told in Racing

Next Racing Documentary 01.jpg
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below with any documentaries you’d like to see made to highlight exceptional personalities or events from the world of motorsports.

Often when we live through an era, the historical significance of it is not immediately obvious. Or, if we didn’t experience the story while it happened, it can be exciting to learn more about a given personality or event. In either case, a documentary can be a great way to relive or experience a piece of history.

With that in mind, and continuing a series that your support has been overwhelming toward, we want to hear what motorsports personality or event you feel deserves a documentary like we’ve seen with the excellent Schumacher Netflix doc. This might be your favourite race driver that doesn’t get enough credit, or perhaps a single race or race season that you feel ranks among the best, or maybe even a racing game or sim that needs a cinematic tribute.

The first example that comes to mind would be Lewis Hamilton. The legacy of the most popular driver in the most popular motorsport series will echo long past his retirement. Despite holding numerous significant F1 records, he has remained a divisive figure throughout his career. How history will view Hamilton remains to be seen, but surely his story is worthy of a documentary.

Another example might be Michèle Mouton. The presence of females in motorsports is becoming more commonplace these days, but Mouton began her racing career in a time when it was exceedingly rare. Not only did the French driver build a reputation for her exceptional rally achievements, but she also participated in the grueling Tour de France Automobile, and after her driving days has moved to the office as president of the FIA's Women & Motor Sport Commission.

Or perhaps a virtual motorsports documentary is due. One idea might be a feature on Gran Turismo. Some readers may remember when the original GT was released in the late 1990s and eschewed the flashy brands and unrealistic vehicle performance of its gaming contemporaries in favour of more lifelike racing physics and performance. This spawned numerous sequels which collectively sold over 80 million copies over a quarter century and grew into the biggest international championship series in virtual racing and even became a part of the Olympics.

Let us know what drivers or events from the world of motorsports deserve recognition via a documentary, or if you’ve stumbled upon any great motorsports docs that people should check out.

Image by Toby Parsons from Pixabay
About author
Mike Smith
I have been obsessed with sim racing and racing games since the 1980's. My first taste of live auto racing was in 1988, and I couldn't get enough ever since. Lead writer for RaceDepartment, and owner of SimRacing604 and its YouTube channel. Favourite sims include Assetto Corsa Competizione, Assetto Corsa, rFactor 2, Automobilista 2, DiRT Rally 2 - On Twitter as @simracing604

Comments

No fully blown documentaries, but some „follow ups“ on

Billie Monger
Robert Wickens
Juan Manuel Correa
 
What can be done to reduce the carbon footprint of racing on the amount of tires used, oil, fuel, event waste and transportation in regards to schedule.
Obviously FE is taking an extreme step towards the carbon footprint of racing but it still comes up short when considering tires, transportation and event waste to name but a few.
 
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There are a lot of interesting bits you learn about Formula 1 when listening to Tom Clarkson's podcast, "Beyond the Grid", that are worth of a follow-up in some way. Especially when he talks to the 'less known' names from the sport, like engineers for example. Truly juicy stuff sometimes never heard before. But that's just F1. Perhaps an explanatory video-series of each motorsport series to date? Their origin, history and evolution (or demise). Anectdotal stories from Marshalls would make for an interesting podcast as well. For sure, the origins and evolution of Simracing would be also fantastic, there's much information scattered that could be put together into a coherent 'history and timeline' documentary, as a video-series or podcast. :thumbsup:
 
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The path to F1 isn't always paved with the best talent. How drivers sponsorship plays a roll in getting a seat.
 
I would say,

How aero are designed and not in the slappy fashion other docu's did.

Other thing come to mind
How race tracks are designed featuring hermann tilke.

So he could explain why he made those changes or compleet new tracks and why they are how they are.

As for drivers

Stefan bellof
jacky ickx
Greg moore
But mostly roland ratzenberger
Why because all attention go's to senna (deserved or not) it made senna really upset, in that emotion state senna was the sundays the team should have told no senna not today. Is my real opion after all those years and docu's etc

But the death of roland ratzenberger Is some what overlooked.
 
I'd like more documentaries about the Likes of Byrne and Newey etc etc. The real stars of F1 are the cars and the tech, without them we'd have nothing.
 
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Surprised that I have not seen a single comment mention the "Option 13" controversy in 1994 concerning Benetton and their cars (mainly Schumacher's) having a line of code for launch control after all driver aids were banned. The name itself would be a great title for a documentary about it.
 
Surprised that I have not seen a single comment mention the "Option 13" controversy in 1994 concerning Benetton and their cars (mainly Schumacher's) having a line of code for launch control after all driver aids were banned. The name itself would be a great title for a documentary about it.
Because its allready lot of youtube vids about it like aiden millward etc
 

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