I’ve been struggling a lot lately to write. I open the file. My notes are there. I know what I want to write. I just can’t. It’s not writer’s block. It’s worse. So, I’ve been turning to something that helps pull me out of whatever the hell is going on – Formula 1 documentaries. I think I’ve watched every F1 documentary made.

Schumacher, 2021

I wasn’t a fan of Michael Schumacher, but that’s a story for another time. When this documentary premiered in 2021, I waited a few weeks before I watched it. I wanted to get out of my headspace of not like Michael the driver. This was a documentary that was more than that. To date, it’s one of the best documentaries I’ve ever seen. It shows a side of Michael most fans never saw.

If you’re looking for a documentary on the ruthless driver, this isn’t it. This is a story of a man and his inner struggles in life.

The story, as The Guardian noted, is “missing its protagonist. The seven-times world champion’s story is told through archive footage, interviews with central characters and a chronological timeline.” This is due to a tragic skiing accident at Méribel in the French Alps on December 29, 2013. He was skiing off-piste with his son and went to help another skier nearby. Unfortunately, he hit a rock and was launched through the air, landing about 10 meters away. Although Schumacher was wearing the proper helmet for such conditions, he hit the right side of his head on a rock. The impact split his helmet in two.

We still don’t truly know where Schumacher is in his recovery and that’s okay. As he used to say, “private is private.” We don’t need to know anything other than he is still recovering.

The film shows part of the clip of the press conference after the 2000 Monza Grand Prix, where Schumacher learned he had equaled the number of wins of Ayrton Senna. Yeah, watch the clip below and try not to cry.

One of the things that struck me about the film was learning how shy Schumacher was and how he struggled with self-doubt and the fame that came with being a seven-times world champion. He was suspicious with everyone until he felt he could be open with them. Then, you got 100% Schumacher. He was, however, happiest at home. Throughout the documentary, I found myself nodding and identifying with the man.

I’m still not a fan of the driver, but the man has gained my respect.

The last 10 minutes will rip your heart out. I do hope you find the time to watch the film. It is absolutely worth it and you don’t need to know anything about Formula 1 before you watch.

You can catch Schumacher on Netflix.

Fernando, Seasons 1 and 2

I did not watch the dubbed version, but I don’t mind the subtitles.

When Fernando Alonso first came onto the scene in Formula 1, I didn’t like him. My favorite driver was Giancarlo Fisichella. Alonso was his teammate and clearly better than Fisi. It took a while, but once I was able to get past that silly thought, I could watch and admire the genius that is Fernando Alonso.

In the series, Alonso and those close to him spoke about how his life changed after he won the championship and how he was isolated because of his new fame.

Fernando is also driven. His family mentions how well he can concentrate in studying what he needs to do in order to be better and then turn that into results. They also mention, and Alonso concurs, he can’t just have a good time. Everything is a competition. He said during the series that if he is not good at something, he simply won’t do it again. He knows it’s an extreme way of living, but it is who he is and it’s how he became a two-time F1 champion and has won other prestigious races, such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The series followed Alonso after his “retirement” from Formula 1. In season one, viewers learn about his early life and how he was not quitting racing just because he retired from F1. He also attempted the Triple Crown, which is a win in F1 at Monaco, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and Indianapolis 500. Spoiler: He has accomplished the first two and was looking to win the Indy 500, but it did not happen and, now, may never happen.

The first series ends with his historic first appearance at the extremely challenging Dakar Rally.

I was happy when he returned to Formula 1. He’s currently in a shit car, but he mentioned something that I think other, younger drivers are taking to heart. He didn’t enjoy it as much as he should have the first time around.

Alonso has always been able to adapt quickly to the cars he drives. During his time away from F1, he had to jump into unfamiliar cars and perform automatically. It was definitely something special to see. Most of the races he entered, he won on the first try.

If Alonso had been able to get into better seats in Formula 1, he would have had more championships. I still believe he is one of the best drivers of all time.

I haven’t had a chance to see the second series yet, but it’s on my list. You can catch series one on Amazon and Apple.

Anatomy of a Champion

This three-part series takes a look at Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen. Max’s parents, Jos and Sophie, were both racing drivers. The series delves into Max’s upbringing, which included his parents’ divorce and how he lived with Jos so he could be in karting and work his way up to F1 and the effects it had on his sister, Victoria, as well as his mom and dad. Anyone who has followed F1 for a long time has issues with Jos, but that would be a different documentary. This one looks at how Max got through the trauma, the sacrifices, the expectations, and his love of racing and how it all shaped him into the four-time world champion he is today.

If you know nothing of Max Verstappen and Formula 1, that’s okay. It’s still a good series. While I enjoyed it, I didn’t learn too much from it. It was nice to see his mom and Victoria provide interviews because you can read the things they have said in news articles, but it hits different when you hear the inflection in their voices. There is still clearly some “bad things” as Victoria said the family chooses to not address and just move on with life.

I will go to my death swearing Sophie was a better racing driver than Jos. If you see enough interviews and old clips, I think Max’s driving intelligence and skill leans more toward her.

You can catch Anatomy of a Champion on viaplay, Amazon and viaplay via Amazon.

Brawn: The Impossible Formula 1 Story

Every now and then, a team comes out of nowhere and does the impossible. That was Brawn F1.

Actor Keanu Reeves interviews all the players in the four-part story of how the little startup of a team, purchased for £1, became world champions. Please don’t let any biases you have against Keanu Reeves stop you from watching this excellent documentary. You’ll miss out on a gem of a show.

Brawn GP Formula One Team was formed just a few months before the start of the 2009 season. At the end of the season, driver Jenson Button was world champion, teammate Rubens Barrichello was third, and the team collected the constructors championship trophy. The team was then sold and became the Mercedes team fans know of today.

Understaffed and underfinanced, Ross Brawn took this little underdog team and had a lot of people rooting for them. The documentary, for me, was a neat little look back at what I watched play out over the entire season in 2009. I didn’t think Jenson Button would ever get a title, but never say never.

You can watch this four-part documentary on Disney+, Hulu, and AppleTV.