2025 is looking to be a big year for racing fans, with the 76th season of Formula One well underway and the much-anticipated new movie F1, starring Brad Pitt, which is set to release this summer.

Now seems like a good time to look back at the racing films of the past, as I asked the Movie Suggestions subreddit for their opinions on the best racing films. With over 100 responses compiled, this is the list of the top five best racing films:

5 - Cars

A 2006 Disney Pixar animated movie, where all the characters are talking cars. Owen Wilson stars as the main character, Lightning McQueen, a famous NASCAR who accidentally damages the road in a quiet small town called Radiator Springs. The film follows him as he must repair the road while trying to get along with the locals. This film does feature racing, but it’s mostly about McQueen growing a bond with this town. He becomes very appreciative of the cars living there, as he had only known a life of fame and luxury. The legendary Paul Newman voices the character Doc Hudson in the actor’s final role before his passing. The movie gets mostly mixed reviews, but it was a successful film and opened to $60 million in the US, ranking number one at the box office for its first two weeks.

4 - Days of Thunder

Tom Cruise plays Cole Trickle, a young hot-headed driver who finds himself in the prestigious NASCAR Winston Cup Series. The film also stars Nicole Kidman as Dr. Claire Lewicki, a neurosurgeon who develops a romantic relationship with Cole. Robert Duvall plays Harry Hodge, the crew chief of Cole’s NASCAR team. It’s an early 1990s action-drama classic, but was criticised by people in the NASCAR industry due to its lack of realism. It’s a fun, fast-paced flick which is now looked upon quite fondly.

3 - Le Mans

This 1971 film tells the fictional story of a 24-hour auto race in Le Mans, France. The “King of Cool” himself, Steve McQueen, stars as Michael Delaney, an auto racer who is going to compete in the gruelling race. The character battles the trauma of his racing rival Piero Belgetti’s accidental death when they both took part in the previous year. McQueen was not only one of the biggest Hollywood stars at the time, but also an auto racer himself, going by the name “Harvey Mushman”. The film is just as much a documentary as it is fiction. It was shot on location at the real Le Mans circuit, with the racing scenes being taken from the real-life 1970 24 Hours of Le Mans race.

2 - Ford v Ferrari

Also known as Le Mans 66 in the UK and some European countries, the film is a 2019 biographical sports drama about the creation of a new revolutionary car for Ford to compete against Ferrari in the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans race. The film stars Matt Damon and Christian Bale, with Damon playing Carroll Shelby, a retired American car designer who is offered the opportunity to beat the unbeatable Ferrari. Bale plays Ken Miles, a British sports car driver and engineer who teams up with Shelby to build a new race car to improve Ford’s image and tries to end Ferrari's long unbeaten streak. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and won Best Film Editing and Best Sound Editing.

1 – Rush

2013's Rush is directed by the great Ron Howard and is based on a true story about two rival drivers in the golden age of Formula One in the 70s. Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl co-star with Hemsworth playing James Hunt, a self-confident, playboy British F1 driver. Brühl plays Niki Lauda, a calculated Austrian driver. The film focuses on the two men’s different lifestyles and their epic rivalry, which culminates in the 1976 F1 season. The plot of Rush revolves around how far both men are willing to go to win. The movie has been highly reviewed for its acting and direction, the score by Hans Zimmer, and its overall engaging story, which shows what racing is all about.

The Top Five Films About Racing