Discover the Untold Stories of Ferrari's Ill-Fated Generation in 'Race to Immortality' Documentary
Breathing new life into footage from 60 years ago is no easy task, but one crack team did just that
The factory Ferrari squad assembled in the Monza pit lane ahead of the 1956 Italian Grand Prix. They would qualify 1-2-3, but Peter Collins had to hand his car to Juan Manuel Fangio to secure the Argentine’s fourth world title
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From left to right: Peter Collins, Alfonso de Portago, Eugenio Castellotti and Mike Hawthorn
It must be terribly easy to be a movie critic. Literally all-seeing, egocentrically all-knowing, the danger is that the critic’s assessment can always be based on a misconception. Back in 2016-17, I was closely involved with production of a movie for Universal which the marketeers entitled Ferrari: Race to Immortality.
It was about the interwoven lives and racing careers of that tragically ill-fated generation of Ferrari works drivers, Mike Hawthorn, Peter Collins, Luigi Musso, Eugenio Castellotti – and the Marquis Alfonso ‘Fon’ de Portago. It was essentially a people picture, the story being told mainly by skilful editing of the most gorgeous and incredibly rare contemporary archive movie footage – while voice-over commentary was supplied by many of the surviving people most closely involved at the time – not seen on-screen until the movie’s conclusion – plus me.