Is grand prix still the greatest racing film?

John Frankenheimer was a bold and visionary American director, best known for his work in politically charged thrillers and technically innovative films. Born in 1930, he built a reputation in the 1950s and ’60s for dynamic, intense storytelling and a commitment to realism.

You may be familiar with him for his earlier gritty dramas like The Manchurian Candidate (1962), Seven Days in May (1964), or The Train (1964). He was also the director of what we feel maybe one of the greatest chase movies of all time, Ronin (1998). Starting to see a theme here?

No wonder this legend created the father of all motorsports films. Grand Prix (1966)

Before Grand Prix (1966), most racing films — particularly those attempting to depict Formula One or open-wheel racing — were widely regarded as unconvincing, overly dramatic, or technically inaccurate, especially by motorsport fans and critics. While there were a few popular racing-themed movies, none had truly captured the intensity or realism of professional motorsport in the way Grand Prix eventually did.

Above - To Please a Lady (1950), Roar of The Crowd (1953) and The Racers (1955)

There is no surprise that people instantly rejected Frankenheimer’s idea of producing a new F1 film. Upon hearing about the new production, Ferrari himself made it clear that he didn’t want anything to do with the film and barred the production team from using the name Ferrari in the film.   

But Frankenheimer was a REAL racing enthusiast that wanted to capture the essence of REAL racing in his film, and that’s what he did. He refused to fake racing scenes in a studio. Instead, he mounted cameras on cars, filmed at actual 1966 F1 races, and even built a custom camera car with the help of race teams.

He employed revolutionary camera techniques, including: POV shots from the driver’s seat, high-speed tracking shots, split-screen editing to depict multiple perspectives. Frankenheimer didn’t just want to show racing — he wanted the audience to experience it, viscerally.

Oh, and did I forget to mention that many of the racing scenes and action sequences is from the 1966 Formula race footage?

Watch our mini doc on this extraordinary racing film, you wont be disappointed!