"Full throttle" - the story of a legendary season in Formula 1

"Full throttle" - the story of a legendary season in Formula 1

How Ron Howard turned a wonderful story into a successful movie

After the incredible 2021 season in Formula 1, interest in this sport has grown tremendously and can easily be compared to the year in which the rivalry between a Briton and another driver was revered. It is about 1976, in which James Hunt and Niki Lauda are fighting for the world title in this motor sport. A year that many sports fans have missed due to age, but which they can recall, or at least the highlights of it, within 123 minutes. That's how long the film is, which is translated into Bulgarian as "Full throttle".

It is a biographical sports drama directed by Ron Howard, which tells the story of the rivalry between the two drivers during the year mentioned. And unlike the situation now, the young and talented driver to fight for the world title is the British Hunt, played by Chris Hemsworth. Lauda is the more experienced of the two and it is believed that the Austrian will have no competition. Daniel Bruhl takes on the role of the scowling, rat-faced pilot who seems to begrudgingly accept the joys of life that Hunt enjoys. The film shows all the vices of the British man who likes to drink and smoke marijuana. Bruhl and Hemsworth perfectly fit the characters they portray, both physically and in their very behavior in front of the camera.

The cars they both drive become the main center of attention, with the manager of the team for which Hunt drives, Alexander Hesketh, played by Christian McKay, saying: "Men love women, but more than that they should love cars!" Exactly! such is the story of Lauda and Hunt, brilliantly told in the film. Naturally, he also shows us the lives of the two off the track, as well as the wives of the two pilots. Susie Miller, played by Olivia Wilde, also has a better part as a rock chick that fits perfectly with Hunt's image, while Marlene Knauss, the lady next to Lauda, makes things a little more difficult for Alexandra Maria Lara, who is constantly worried and disapproving of everything going on with her husband.

Risk is strongly emphasized in the film, as the years are presented in which pilots are very often on the verge of death. The confrontation between Hunt and Lauda resembles a high-speed military battle, which also carries over to the national level between Austria and Great Britain. In addition to their rivalry on the track, Lauda realizes that she also has serious responsibilities off the track. Hunt looks like a carefree kid enjoying the ride, while his opponent tends to surrender in the paint to avoid taking as many chances, and in the end, it's him who pays the extremely high price.

Although the Austrian led for most of the championship, he crashed at the Nürburgring and was out for a month with very severe head burns. The scene in the film looks absolutely like the real collision in which Lauda was injured so unpleasantly that he will be a role model for a large number of athletes in every field in the future. After all, he is back on track and back in contention for the title, and his character leads to the title being decided in the final race, as it has been this season between Hamilton and Verstappen.

In this final race, the conditions are nightmarish and once again we see Lauda as the man who thinks more soberly and sensibly after retiring on the second lap. However, the young and crazy Hunt risked it all the way and although he had problems with his car, he made it to third place to take the title. A title, after which, however, he indulges in a lavish life full of vices, which he defines as amusements. Subsequently, his career in Formula 1 ended, while Lauda won the world title again.

"Full Throttle" reveals all these events to us, showing a side view that even sports fans would not have seen if they watched the races between them. Ron Howard's idea to bring a magical season of this motor sport to the big screen and turn it into a movie production is proving to be more than successful.

The film will be released in October 2013. and reaped a number of successes with profits exceeding $40 million. And the magical story of the battle between a cold-blooded and not particularly ready to give in to the fun Austrian and a talented but ready to deviate from the right path, is described in a more than wonderful way in a very classy drama.

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