The Big Picture

The docuseries Brawn: The Impossible Formula 1 Story tells the incredible true story of how the underdog team Brawn GP won the 2009 World Championship, exceeding all expectations and beating the odds in a high-stakes racing series. Jenson Button, the British F1 driver who led the Brawn GP team to victory, reflects on the stress and pressure he experienced during that year, despite being the championship leader. Keanu Reeves, a racing enthusiast, loves Formula 1 for its cool cars, thrilling races, unique team dynamics, and glamorous appeal.

As told by Keanu Reeves, the four-part docuseries Brawn: The Impossible Formula 1 Story recounts the roller coaster year when an underdog independent team called Brawn GP won the 2009 World Championship. Whether on the racetrack, in the garage, or from the boardroom, everyone came together to beat the odds while competing in such a high-stakes, expensive and technologically advanced racing series where they exceeded all expectations, including their own.

During this interview with Collider, Reeves was joined by British F1 driver Jenson Button, who led the Brawn GP team to victory in 2009, to talk about the wilder than fiction true story, what makes Formula 1 so appealing, how Reeves drew from his own experiences as an interview subject for these conversations, Button’s experience struggling under pressure but eventually growing from it as a result, and why Button thinks Reeves could be a great racing driver.

Image via Disney Brawn: The Impossible Formula 1 Story Release Date November 15, 2023 Cast Keanu Reeves Main Genre Documentary Seasons 1 Number of Episodes 4
Collider: I love stories like this, where it would seem crazy if you tried to write this as fiction, but it’s that much more incredible because it’s true and real. Jenson, as someone who was a Formula 1 driver in the middle of all of this and who won the 2009 World Championship, what did you most love about your experience? Is it something you can even sum up, in that way?

JENSON BUTTON: It’s a funny one because I watched the documentary and it’s so special to follow what we achieved that year, with the highs and the lows. But when you’re living in it, it was stressful. It really was, with the emotion and the pressure you put yourself under. At moments that year, I was probably at my lowest, which you’d think, “How is that possible? You’re leading a World Championship.” I led every race, in terms of the World Championship, but the pressure gets to you. It’s tough. Winning the championship the way that we did in Brazil, that made it all better. The high that we had there was just extraordinary. Winning a World Championship, that’s something that lives with you forever. They can never take that away. So, every time I get to think about that season, it puts a big smile on my face. That was one thing that was great about this documentary. I was able to stop and look back at what we had achieved that year. Time has moved on. In 14 years, we all have moved on, doing different things, but I could stop and look back. So, I thank you, Keanu, for giving me that opportunity.

REEVES: Thank you, Jenson.

Image via Hulu

Why Should Everyone Watch This Docuseries about Formula 1?
Keanu, why do you love Formula 1? Why did you think it was worth this documentary? What is it about Formula 1, for you?

REEVES: I don’t know, those cars look cool. They sound freaking awesome. Racing is neat. It’s neat-o. It’s fun. It’s primal. It’s a team, but it’s also solo. The outfits are cool. It’s very unique. It’s very special. Not everyone can do it. Actually, no one can really do it except for a couple of people. It’s glamorous. It’s exciting. I love stories, so to be able to have the generosity of so many people to share their experiences, I don’t know if there’s ever been a year in Formula 1 like 2009, with a financial crisis, rule changes, new cars, warfare between the teams against the commercial rights holder. It might be collapsing. It might be the last year of Formula 1. What’s going on? And then, this team and Ross Brawn, a genius, joining this other team and Nick Fry. Jenson, you drove a car in a shakedown that had no sponsorship. You drove a white car with no sponsorship. They weren’t in the brochure for the first race in Melbourne. They didn’t know they’d be racing. It was like, “Oh, my gosh!”

BUTTON: And you see that we even got the wrong numbers in the garage. There’s number 20 and 21 on the wall, and we were number 22 and 23.

REEVES: It’s the Bad News Bears. It’s the team that can’t. But it’s the team that did, and it’s how [they did].

The Challenge of Thriving Under Pressure
Keanu, how did you find the experience of being the one sitting in the chair across from the subjects, asking the questions? Did your own experience with being the subject of interviews yourself shape or dictate, at all, the way you wanted to handle this?

REEVES: Yeah, sure. The experience of what is a good interview or bad, as you know, it could take so many different shapes. I really enjoy interviewing people. I love conversation and I love getting to know the hows, the whys, and the wheres. As an actor, you’re always investigating your character and the story. So, I really enjoy sitting down and having a conversation with someone about what they do and did.

Jenson, do you feel like you’re someone who thrives under pressure? Do you feel it all before you get in the car and start the race, or do you feel it until the race ends?

BUTTON: That moment of my career, when I was 29, I struggled under pressure. I put myself under immense pressure. After that season, I grew so much, as a driver, physically and mentally. I put that to good use, over the next few years, when I had Lewis Hamilton, probably the greatest ever Formula 1 driver, as my teammate. But that season, no, I struggled under pressure. When I had a good car and I was at my best, I was unbeatable. But as soon as that dropped away, I struggled with it. I don’t mind saying that. I was afraid to show a weakness. I think as a racing driver, this is a very aggressive sport where we’re very strong and you don’t wanna show weakness. You don’t wanna show it to your competitors. I think if I did, I would have got over the slump a lot quicker, but it wouldn’t have made such a good story, would it? So, the way it played out, it’s perfect. But in the moment, it definitely didn’t feel perfect.

Image via Hulu

Whether Actors Would Make Good Race Car Drivers and Vice Versa
Keanu, as an actor who has done a good amount of physical stunt work, and you are someone who’s a racing enthusiast, does it feel like one feeds into the other, as far as your interest in it? Are you interested in doing physical work because you love racing, and does the interest in racing come from that? It feels like they’re very natural companions.

REEVES: I don’t know about the competitive aspect of it. They’re both very physical, moving through space and understanding your own space. And also, there is a discipline and there is training and different skills. And there’s a lot of evaluation. You do something, and then it’s like, “What did I do, and how can I do it better?” Jenson, wouldn’t you agree there’s something in there with a race car driver?

BUTTON: I feel that certain actors could be amazing. They definitely have the right mindset to be great racing drivers because they’re all about the fine detail, studying, and trying to make it their own. Obviously, you need the natural ability to be at a steering wheel and drive around corners. But yeah, I think Keanu could be a great racing driver.

REEVES: That’s very kind of you, sir. And I look forward to your performance on stage as Hamlet.

BUTTON: I’ll tell you what, it definitely doesn’t work both ways. I’m the worst actor, I really am.

Brawn: The Impossible Formula 1 Story is available to stream at Disney+.

Watch on Hulu.