Sky Sports F1 previews Sky Original 'Ferrari'

Sky Sports F1's Naomi Schiff, Martin Brundle and Simon Lazenby join Matthew Baker to preview the Sky Original film: 'Ferrari', which tells the story of the team's founder, Enzo, featuring actors Adam Driver, Penelope Cruz, Patrick Dempsey, directed by Michael Mann.

'Ferrari,' a Sky Original film, in cinemas from Boxing Day in the UK&I, and available in cinemas around the world throughout December.

**Film Review: Ferrari (2022)**

In this captivating cinematic journey, we are transported back to 1957, a time when Enzo Ferrari's legendary racing team faced financial ruin and marital turmoil. With the Mille Miglia race as their last hope for salvation, the film delves into the complexities of Enzo Ferrari's life, his relentless pursuit of victory, and the sacrifices made along the way.

The film boasts an impressive cast, including Adam Driver as Enzo Ferrari, Penelope Cruz as his wife Laura, and Patrick Dempsey as racing driver Phil Hill. Michael Mann's direction brings the era to life, capturing the essence of the Mille Miglia race and the high-stakes world of motorsports.

The film's portrayal of the Mille Miglia race is particularly gripping, showcasing the perilous nature of the event and the bravery of the drivers who dared to compete. The sound design and cinematography immerse viewers in the action, creating a visceral experience that transports them to the heart of the race.

The film also explores the personal struggles of Enzo Ferrari, highlighting the impact of his son Dino's death on his marriage and his relationship with his other son, Piero. Adam Driver delivers a nuanced performance, capturing the complexities of Enzo Ferrari's character and his unwavering determination to succeed.

However, the film's focus on Enzo Ferrari's personal life sometimes overshadows the racing aspect, leaving some viewers craving more in-depth exploration of the sport itself. Additionally, the film's runtime of over two hours may test the patience of some viewers, especially those less interested in the personal drama.

Overall, "Ferrari" is a visually stunning and emotionally charged film that offers a glimpse into the life of a legendary figure in motorsports. While the film may not fully satisfy racing enthusiasts seeking a deep dive into the sport, it provides a compelling and thought-provoking exploration of Enzo Ferrari's character and the sacrifices made in the pursuit of victory.

[00:00.000 -> 00:08.640] Hello everyone, welcome to this episode of the Sky Sports F1 podcast.
[00:08.640 -> 00:10.440] Our first one standing up.
[00:10.440 -> 00:11.840] Maybe we should make this more of a regular thing.
[00:11.840 -> 00:12.840] It's a first, isn't it?
[00:12.840 -> 00:13.840] It is a first, yeah, we'll see.
[00:13.840 -> 00:18.800] We're here to have a chat about the new Ferrari movie, which features Adam Driver, Penelope
[00:18.800 -> 00:21.000] Cruz, directed by Michael Mann.
[00:21.000 -> 00:23.800] We all went to the cinema to see the premiere this week.
[00:23.800 -> 00:24.800] It was pretty good, wasn't it?
[00:24.800 -> 00:27.140] No, but you were on the red carpet interviewing everyone. How was
[00:27.140 -> 00:28.140] it?
[00:28.140 -> 00:31.900] First of all, the weather wasn't playing with us. So it was very, very cold. A lot of rain.
[00:31.900 -> 00:35.460] That's London for you, though, this time of year. But to be honest, it was well worth
[00:35.460 -> 00:40.260] it because as you just, you know, listed off the fantastic cast that's in this movie, Michael
[00:40.260 -> 00:45.800] Mann, obviously the director, Adam Driver, who plays Enzo Ferrari in the movie,
[00:45.800 -> 00:48.600] Patrick Dempsey, Penelope Cruz, Jack O'Connell,
[00:48.600 -> 00:51.360] Shailene Woodley, I mean, an incredible cast.
[00:51.360 -> 00:54.080] So I felt very honored to have a chat to all of them.
[00:54.080 -> 00:55.080] I was really excited to see them,
[00:55.080 -> 00:56.920] and especially Patrick, because, you know,
[00:56.920 -> 00:59.240] he's an actor, an incredible actor,
[00:59.240 -> 01:01.960] but also a racing driver.
[01:01.960 -> 01:03.640] The dream combination.
[01:03.640 -> 01:05.000] Dream combo.
[01:08.120 -> 01:09.760] So for a bit of context, this film is set in 1957. It's about Enzo Ferrari.
[01:09.760 -> 01:11.840] Ferrari are in dire straits, really.
[01:11.840 -> 01:12.880] They're going bankrupt.
[01:12.880 -> 01:15.160] He's got a volatile marriage with his wife.
[01:15.400 -> 01:20.880] And he realizes the only way he can get out of this is to race in the Mille Miglia.
[01:20.960 -> 01:22.160] I tried to get that right.
[01:22.160 -> 01:23.120] It's quite a tricky one.
[01:23.120 -> 01:23.880] Mille Miglia.
[01:23.880 -> 01:24.880] Mille Miglia.
[01:24.960 -> 01:28.280] There we go, almost. So that's the only way he can get out of it. And yeah,
[01:28.280 -> 01:32.120] it follows that story. I mean, Martin, what did you make of that? You've raced in the
[01:32.120 -> 01:36.560] Mille Miglia as well. So how was it? Did it bring back great memories of that?
[01:36.560 -> 01:40.840] It did. And I really enjoyed the movie. It took me a little while to tune into the heavy
[01:40.840 -> 01:45.400] Italian accent, if I'm honest, but knowing the backstory helps
[01:45.400 -> 01:47.560] and these incredible drivers around the table
[01:47.560 -> 01:50.480] with Enzo Ferrari and what a character.
[01:50.480 -> 01:52.560] I never had the privilege of meeting him actually,
[01:52.560 -> 01:53.760] and I wish I had have done,
[01:53.760 -> 01:58.760] but the story and the backstory to the whole thing
[01:59.040 -> 02:02.400] and the relationships and driving the team forward
[02:02.400 -> 02:04.640] and all those lovely lines of, you know,
[02:04.640 -> 02:08.640] I race, I make cars to go racing,
[02:08.640 -> 02:10.560] I don't race to sell more cars.
[02:10.560 -> 02:13.120] And stuff like that where you really,
[02:13.120 -> 02:16.040] I think you've got the true spirit of Enzo Ferrari
[02:16.040 -> 02:20.760] and just the scary nature of doing that race.
[02:20.760 -> 02:23.200] Simon, you interviewed Michael Mann, didn't you?
[02:23.200 -> 02:24.040] I did.
[02:24.040 -> 02:27.160] This week, what was that like and what did he make of the film?
[02:27.400 -> 02:28.960] What was he trying to achieve with the film?
[02:28.960 -> 02:30.000] Well, he's a legend, isn't he?
[02:30.000 -> 02:33.000] I mean, he's 80 years of age and he doesn't look it.
[02:33.040 -> 02:36.200] He certainly doesn't seem it when you sit down, you talk to him.
[02:36.200 -> 02:40.720] And his mind is just a whirling torrent of everything
[02:40.720 -> 02:43.600] that he's pieced together over 30 years of research for this,
[02:43.600 -> 02:45.640] because I think he went through a lot of iterations
[02:45.640 -> 02:48.340] of the car, so Christian Bale was attached to it for a while,
[02:48.340 -> 02:51.720] but in the end, he ended up with Adam Driver in the lead role,
[02:51.720 -> 02:53.320] as Naomi was saying.
[02:53.320 -> 02:56.040] And I think his point on this was
[02:56.040 -> 03:01.040] 57 was effectively just a load of things
[03:01.040 -> 03:02.640] colliding within his world.
[03:02.640 -> 03:06.160] So it was the year after the death of his son, Dino,
[03:06.160 -> 03:08.480] which affected his marriage so badly, affected him,
[03:08.480 -> 03:11.040] affected Laura Ferrari so well.
[03:11.040 -> 03:13.040] It was also the last year of the Mille Miglia
[03:13.040 -> 03:16.000] because of what happened at the end with Alfonso de Patago.
[03:16.000 -> 03:19.840] But also it was that group, that squad of Ferrari drivers,
[03:20.480 -> 03:22.080] which was seven strong.
[03:22.080 -> 03:25.800] And it starts, doesn't it, with the death in testing of Castellotti.
[03:25.800 -> 03:31.800] When you look back in the history books, six of the seven actually lost their lives at the wheel of a car.
[03:31.800 -> 03:34.400] And there were some great drivers within that squad.
[03:34.400 -> 03:38.400] So there was Peter Collins, Mike Hawthorne, Wolfgang von Tripp.
[03:38.400 -> 03:43.200] So I think there was that and it was also the fact that Ferrari was on the verge of going bust.
[03:43.200 -> 03:47.840] Going back to your point, Martin, you know, is it about producing cars so they can go racing?
[03:47.840 -> 03:51.880] I think in the end, they had to do that because eventually, of course, they were taken over
[03:51.880 -> 03:52.880] by Fiat.
[03:52.880 -> 03:56.360] But I think that's why this was the touchpoint of the film.
[03:56.360 -> 04:00.520] There were a couple of fairly big crashes in that film, Naomi.
[04:00.520 -> 04:05.000] What were your impressions of the brutality of motorsport back in that time?
[04:10.400 -> 04:13.200] Yeah, well, look, I think I'm quite fortunate that the time that I was a driver in motorsport, safety had come such a long way already.
[04:13.200 -> 04:17.520] So I think that was one of the first things when I saw the drivers getting in the car,
[04:17.520 -> 04:19.120] we see that first crash happening.
[04:20.040 -> 04:27.080] For me, it just made me think, wow, how brave drivers had to really be back in the day to jump in these cars.
[04:27.080 -> 04:30.600] Obviously, incredible cars, but safety isn't where it is today in motorsports.
[04:30.600 -> 04:34.560] So, yeah, it takes some huge courage and bravery to get in a car like that.
[04:34.560 -> 04:36.080] So, yeah, hats off to them.
[04:36.080 -> 04:39.040] And Martin, it was not just the drivers at risk, was it?
[04:39.040 -> 04:42.960] I think the film does a really good job of showing that actually it was people in the crowd.
[04:42.960 -> 04:46.000] It was just often hay bales that were protecting the crowd
[04:46.200 -> 04:48.240] from the from the drivers and from their cars.
[04:48.840 -> 04:51.840] It does a terrifying job in the movie of showing that actually
[04:51.840 -> 04:52.920] towards the end, doesn't it?
[04:52.920 -> 04:57.440] The CGI of de Portago's accident and the deaths, the tragic deaths
[04:57.840 -> 04:59.120] on the side of the track.
[04:59.120 -> 05:03.760] But it really is a thousand miles through little villages and towns.
[05:03.760 -> 05:06.240] And even when we did it in a more modern times,
[05:06.240 -> 05:09.040] although I was in a Jaguar D-Type doing it,
[05:09.040 -> 05:12.160] you know, the police are waving you on to go ever faster.
[05:12.160 -> 05:15.040] And it's extraordinary.
[05:15.040 -> 05:17.280] And you couldn't do a race like that today.
[05:17.280 -> 05:19.600] I mean, when Stirling Moss won it in 55,
[05:19.600 -> 05:21.920] took just over 10 hours,
[05:21.920 -> 05:24.120] that incredible event that they had there.
[05:24.120 -> 05:25.040] So, but I event that they had there.
[05:25.040 -> 05:29.080] But I think that era, it was more accepted
[05:29.080 -> 05:30.560] to die in a racing car.
[05:30.560 -> 05:33.760] I think it came off the back of the two World Wars
[05:33.760 -> 05:36.840] and maybe some military sort of mentality.
[05:36.840 -> 05:39.920] And it just seemed normal.
[05:39.920 -> 05:43.360] And there's a line in there that Adam Driver comes out
[05:43.360 -> 05:48.100] with as Enzo Ferrari saying, when I lost my first friend
[05:48.100 -> 05:51.760] and driver, I had to build a wall from there on.
[05:51.760 -> 05:53.360] And I can relate to that.
[05:53.360 -> 05:55.040] I have a team boss I had, Ken Tyrrell,
[05:55.040 -> 05:57.480] who had drivers killed in his cars.
[05:57.480 -> 06:02.000] And that era, even in the 80s, that mentality
[06:02.000 -> 06:06.000] was still treat drivers like light bulbs.
[06:06.000 -> 06:08.320] When one goes out, put another one in.
[06:08.320 -> 06:10.880] And it comes through in the movie as well, doesn't it?
[06:10.880 -> 06:14.520] And so that lasted actually for a few decades.
[06:14.520 -> 06:16.840] And we're in a different place altogether now.
[06:16.840 -> 06:18.120] Yeah. Martin's done it.
[06:18.120 -> 06:21.280] Simon, Naomi, do you fancy it as a double act?
[06:21.280 -> 06:23.480] I do. I just, I'd love to, I'd love,
[06:23.480 -> 06:25.880] I mean, amazing, wouldn't it, to recreate this?
[06:25.880 -> 06:26.720] But I just want to go back
[06:26.720 -> 06:28.320] to what Martin was talking about there
[06:28.320 -> 06:29.640] with regards to the detail
[06:29.640 -> 06:32.200] that Michael Mann put into these crash sequences.
[06:32.200 -> 06:35.080] He said he went to where, to Patago, had that crash.
[06:35.080 -> 06:38.120] He went to the actual town as part of his research.
[06:38.120 -> 06:39.880] They got the police reports
[06:39.880 -> 06:42.240] so they could work out exactly what had happened
[06:42.240 -> 06:43.720] and the angle the car was doing
[06:43.720 -> 06:45.680] so they could match it up with the CGI.
[06:45.680 -> 06:50.360] And whilst they were there, a really old guy came out of the house and he said, oh, you're
[06:50.360 -> 06:52.080] talking about the Patago crash.
[06:52.080 -> 06:53.440] I was there that day.
[06:53.440 -> 06:55.060] This is what really happened.
[06:55.060 -> 06:57.780] So he was getting eyewitness testimony.
[06:57.780 -> 06:58.780] He built up this.
[06:58.780 -> 07:01.380] He had volumes of files on the subject.
[07:01.380 -> 07:05.880] And so, as you say, 5 million spectators used to come out and
[07:05.880 -> 07:11.520] line the streets of Italy and the roads of Italy to watch this. And it was hay bales.
[07:11.520 -> 07:14.160] And you know, you couldn't get away with it now, could you?
[07:14.160 -> 07:19.320] No, 50, 60 years later when you do the recreation of it, but you do go up into these tiny little
[07:19.320 -> 07:23.640] town squares. You think, I would never have found this by myself without being on this
[07:23.640 -> 07:28.080] incredible event. And yeah, literally people all over the place cheering you on.
[07:28.080 -> 07:30.080] It's an institution.
[07:30.080 -> 07:33.080] And sadly, of course, we just can't do anything like that anymore.
[07:33.120 -> 07:34.080] Yeah, very special.
[07:34.080 -> 07:36.320] Naomi, I thought one of the great parts about the film
[07:36.320 -> 07:38.240] was the sound design and the soundscape.
[07:38.240 -> 07:40.680] In the cinema, it sounded so good.
[07:40.680 -> 07:42.720] And the way those cars were built back then,
[07:42.720 -> 07:44.840] they were, with the shots, they were flying past.
[07:44.840 -> 07:46.480] I thought it sounded amazing. What did you think?
[07:46.480 -> 07:50.240] Yeah, so I have, by the way, I don't know if you know this, but because I was doing
[07:50.240 -> 07:56.320] the premiere and hosting the red carpet, I actually got to see, I know, they did, I mean
[07:56.320 -> 07:59.840] sadly, I wish I could say that, but that wasn't the case. They gave me a link to watch the
[07:59.840 -> 08:04.880] movie ahead of everyone else. So the first time I watched it was actually at home. I
[08:04.880 -> 08:05.660] do have a projector,
[08:05.660 -> 08:08.020] but I obviously didn't have that cinematic experience
[08:08.020 -> 08:09.220] with the sound the very first time.
[08:09.220 -> 08:10.500] And honestly, I would say,
[08:10.500 -> 08:13.800] even if you don't watch it in cinema, it's still incredible.
[08:13.800 -> 08:16.220] But obviously the second time I watched it then in cinema
[08:16.220 -> 08:18.420] with the sound, especially sometimes you could hear cars,
[08:18.420 -> 08:19.960] the car would drive past off screen
[08:19.960 -> 08:22.380] and then you could still hear it driving past in the cinema.
[08:22.380 -> 08:24.820] So they definitely did a great job there.
[08:24.820 -> 08:27.720] And it really gives you more of an immersive experience in the cinema.
[08:27.720 -> 08:28.640] Definitely.
[08:28.640 -> 08:31.440] Martin, you've driven some of those cars that were referenced in the film.
[08:31.440 -> 08:33.080] Did it take you back to driving them?
[08:33.080 -> 08:36.320] Did it? As someone who will never get to drive one of those cars, probably.
[08:37.440 -> 08:40.760] Give us an impression of what it was like and how realistic it was.
[08:41.000 -> 08:42.080] I think it was very realistic.
[08:42.080 -> 08:50.240] I mean, you don't actually go down the road, four or five of you jockeying for position like that, but that's good for the movie.
[08:50.240 -> 08:54.200] But the sound of the cars, and you're right, the sound came through the cinema, didn't
[08:54.200 -> 09:00.320] it, as if the car was passing you, but in a really dramatic way. But they were quite
[09:00.320 -> 09:06.160] rudimentary, very analogue cars, you know, shifting a big gearbox and they didn't
[09:06.160 -> 09:10.920] have any downforce, they probably had lift as they were going faster and quite skittish
[09:10.920 -> 09:16.400] cars. But like any great racing car, they all had good balance, the ones that were at
[09:16.400 -> 09:21.680] the front. And another thing I can relate to is where they keep passing slower cars
[09:21.680 -> 09:25.920] because there are a lot of cars in different classes, and the
[09:25.920 -> 09:31.860] number of your car relates to your starting time, for example. So, you know, you're going
[09:31.860 -> 09:37.480] to be passing tens, if not hundreds of cars going much slower than you. So that all felt
[09:37.480 -> 09:42.600] very real to me, and say, climbing up into a little village square full of people.
[09:42.600 -> 09:47.840] Did they have seatbelts? Or this was the era where they wanted to be thrown clear of the car, didn't they? Absolutely no seatbelts,
[09:47.840 -> 09:52.560] they didn't come in until the 70s. That is wild. Yeah, your best chance of surviving a shunt was
[09:52.560 -> 09:55.760] to get that out of it. You see that, don't you, with Castellotti at the start, getting thrown
[09:55.760 -> 10:00.880] away but he didn't survive. Scary stuff. Just a final word then on Adam Driver and his performance
[10:00.880 -> 10:05.680] as Enzo Ferrari. Simon, what did you make of that?
[10:05.680 -> 10:07.360] Enzo Ferrari is an enigma, isn't he?
[10:07.360 -> 10:08.640] We still don't know a huge amount,
[10:08.640 -> 10:10.240] or I don't think we do know a huge amount about him,
[10:10.240 -> 10:11.880] but what did you make of his performance?
[10:11.880 -> 10:14.400] Well, as Michael Mann said to me, actually,
[10:14.400 -> 10:16.920] when we were interviewing, no one really looks like Enzo Ferrari.
[10:16.920 -> 10:17.880] He is his own thing.
[10:17.880 -> 10:21.360] So he had to kind of, I suppose, make up did a good job.
[10:21.360 -> 10:22.040] Transform.
[10:22.040 -> 10:22.920] Exactly.
[10:22.920 -> 10:26.560] And the Italian accent, there or thereabouts, I think.
[10:26.560 -> 10:29.160] But I think the thing with him is
[10:29.160 -> 10:32.360] it was clear that he led this double life, didn't he?
[10:32.360 -> 10:33.920] And I thought that Adam Driver,
[10:33.920 -> 10:36.600] well, I actually thought Penelope Cruz was outstanding
[10:36.600 -> 10:37.420] as Laura Ferrari,
[10:37.420 -> 10:40.640] because she was clearly hugely affected
[10:40.640 -> 10:42.360] by the death of Dino.
[10:42.360 -> 10:44.760] And you kind of get that apparently by all accounts,
[10:44.760 -> 10:48.760] her behavior became much more erratic after he died and you know
[10:48.760 -> 10:52.320] in the end the marriage collapsed and I think that you know one of her wishes
[10:52.320 -> 10:57.640] was that Piero didn't take the Ferrari family name until after she died and
[10:57.640 -> 11:02.000] then of course he's the vice chairman now and all that so it was
[11:02.000 -> 11:09.440] clearly a very complicated role to play for Adam Driver, but he's one of the world's best actors, isn't he? I mean, he's Kylo Ren one day and then he's
[11:10.480 -> 11:14.400] Enzo Ferrari the next. So yeah, good job. If anyone can do it, Adam Driver can. Cool.
[11:14.400 -> 11:17.680] Well, thank you guys. Thank you very much for giving us your thoughts on the film. And just
[11:17.680 -> 11:26.000] a reminder, it's out in cinemas on Boxing Day here in the UK and then in cinemas throughout December in the rest of the world. We hope you enjoy the film. Bye for now.