The rivalry between racecar drivers Niki Lauda and James Hunt during the Formula 1 championship of 1976.

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Englishman James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and Austrian Niki Lauda (the excellent Daniel Brühl) couldn’t be more different: one is a gorgeous showoff, an over the top playboy and charmer who acts like a diva; the other is serious, applies himself, works hard, is disciplined, self-assured and doesn’t care what people think of him. These two are the ultimate competitors in the racing world and both have only one goal: to get rid of the other once and for all. From one racetrack to the nest, they posture, insult each other and cement their hatred for one another. Niki becomes world champion in 1975 and the next year James is ready to take the title from him. During the 1976 Formula 1 race at the Nürburgring in Germany, Hunt increases the risk for all 25 drivers by refusing to boycott the race due to the track’s bad reputation...

With this movie, Ron Howard (Apollo 13, Da Vinci Code and the excellent Frost/Nixon) manages to hold the interest of even those who find racing boring. It captures the mysteries of competition and the essence of what motivates a champion to take risks (out of 25 drivers, an average of two die each year). The struggle between the two main characters is reminiscent of the battle between Roman gladiators – also showing, very realistically, how they come to depend on one another.