The Big Picture

Race for Glory: Audi vs. Lancia is a compelling and rewatchable racing film with an underdog narrative. Though not as high profile, it is part of a recent slate of racing films that place us in the shoes of iconic racers. The film balances the thrills of racing with the conflicts and drama that occur off the track.

Hot off the heels of the holiday season, Race for Glory: Audi vs. Lancia quietly arrives in theaters and on VOD. While nerve-racking races and gut-wrenching wrecks are a mainstay in racing films, Race for Glory embraces the human element that keeps audiences coming back to this genre time and time again. Separating it from the pack is that it’s based on the true story of the contentious and well-documented rivalry between carmakers Audi and Lancia at the 1983 Rally World Championship.

Race for Glory: Audi vs. Lancia Experience the riveting underdog story of the 1983 Rally World Championships, inspired by true events. This moving sports drama puts you in the driver’s seat for a thrilling ride. Release Date January 5, 2024 Director Stefano Mordini Cast Riccardo Scamarcio , Daniel Brühl , Volker Bruch , Katie Clarkson-Hill Rating R Main Genre Drama Genres Drama , Biography , sport Writers Filippo Bologna , Stefano Mordini , Riccardo Scamarcio

What Is ‘Race for Glory: Audi vs. Lancia’ About?

Hailed as a David vs. Goliath-type story, the film delivers on portraying Lancia as an underdog company, vying to overthrow Audi’s long run of victories. Part of that success comes from how the film portrays Lancia’s manager Cesare Fiorio (Riccardo Scamarcio), as he finds himself up against the odds both on and away from the racetrack. Everything hinges on Scamarcio’s performance, and he makes for an excellent lead—carefully playing through a conflicting range of emotions as Fiorio orchestrates Lancia’s victory through sheer tenacity and luck.

While it is very fun to watch Fiorio outsmart and outfox Daniel Brühl’s Roland Gumpert throughout the film, Scamarcio’s best moments are defined by the unexpected dynamic Fiorio finds with the team’s medic Jane McCoy (Katie Clarkson-Hill). McCoy puts Fiorio to task when his schemes jeopardize the life of one of their drivers, and she very much keeps him grounded, while still feeling like her own character, with goals and aspirations. It’s a dynamic that ends up becoming a driving force in the third act.

Volker Brauch’s portrayal of famed rally racer Walter Röhrl is another of the film’s highlights, particularly where his inner conflict is concerned. He is largely disenfranchised by the whole fame aspect of the Rally World Championship circuit, which forces Fiorio to really pursue him and lure him back onto the racetrack. Brauch, who is best known to American audiences as Gereon Rath in Netflix’s hit Babylon Berlin, gives a remarkably strong performance, despite being largely relegated to the shadows of Fiorio’s overarching plot.

At times, it does feel like there were plot points sacrificed to the cutting room floor to keep Race for Glory at a tidy 94 minutes, especially where Gumpert’s interpersonal subplot is concerned. Towards the second act, it’s shown that his relationship with his wife is on the rocks—seemingly because of the stress surrounding the Rally World Championship—but it doesn’t feel earned. While it is shown through Fiorio’s point of view, as he essentially keeps tabs on Gumpert and makes his assumptions, it does feel like more could’ve been done to flesh out Gumpert’s investments in the race, both personally and professionally. Still, the lack of connectivity there doesn’t hinder the film’s plot or Lancia’s victorious outcome. Brühl’s screen time may be limited in the film, but he makes every scene count.

How Does ‘Race for Glory’ Compare to Other Racing Films?
Image via Lionsgate

Race for Glory is Stefano Mordini’s first English-language feature and the Italian filmmaker makes some smart decisions on how English is utilized throughout the film, without ever losing sight of the fact that this is a story about Italian and German car makers. English is only used as a bridge between the two languages, and it essentially becomes a meeting place where Röhrl and Fiorio can converse about the races and Fiorio and Gumpert can take cheap shots at each other. While it would’ve been more marketable as a solely English-language film, this clever execution helps to maintain a level of authenticity that often gets lost, quite literally, in translation. In addition to starring in the film, Scamarcio also penned the script alongside the film’s director and Filippo Bologna, which seems to have paid off.

Race for Glory: Audi vs. Lancia is the latest in a long line of high-octane racing films that borrow from the adrenaline-fueled drama on and off the racetrack. Like its predecessors Rush, Ferrari, and Ford v Ferrari, Race for Glory neatly balances the thrills of being behind the wheel, while paying homage to the conflict those thrills create behind the scenes at swanky parties, in the pit, and behind the closed doors of decision makers. This film may not be star-studded Oscar bait like the Ferrari-based films, but it does share certain similarities with Rush—beyond both starring Brühl. To that point, Race for Glory’s underdog narrative and the way Fiorio and team Italy overcome the odds make it a very compelling and rewatchable film. Like Gran Turismo, which raced into theaters last year with very little fanfare and is now topping charts at Netflix, Race for Glory: Audi vs. Lancia is primed to find a much larger audience now that it has also arrived on streaming.

Race for Glory: Audi vs. Lancia will undoubtedly get lost in the post-holiday rush and the race to awards season, but it is well worth the watch. If anything, it will introduce audiences to a cast of performers who are rarely on their screens—small and silver—and kick off 2024 with a new racing epic to add to the ever-growing slate of racing dramas that appeal to racing fans and thrill-seekers alike.

Race for Glory: Audi vs. Lancia REVIEWRace for Glory: Audi vs. Lancia is a compelling and rewatchable film though it feels as though some elements have been cut out. Experience the riveting underdog story of the 1983 Rally World Championships, inspired by true events. This moving sports drama puts you in the driver’s seat for a thrilling ride. ProsThe performances across the board help to give this familiar racing film an emotional core The film captures the drama that can play out both on and off the track in the world of racing ConsGumpert’s relationship with his wife running into problems doesn’t feel earned The personal and professional reasons Gumpert is invested in the race could have been more flushed out

Race for Glory: Audi vs. Lancia is now on VOD and in theaters in the U.S. Click below for showtimes.

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