Journey to Le Mans – A First Look

Telling the story of Jota Sport’s remarkable victory at the Le Mans 24 Hours, Charlotte Fantelli’s eagerly-anticipated Journey to Le Mans is everything a motorsport documentary should be. It’s a story of human endurance, conquering personal demons and, most importantly, passion, following the team from pre-season testing right through to the chequered flag, encompassing the many highs and lows along the way.

Journey To Le Mans tells the story of Jota Sport's
remarkable 2014 season. (Fantelli Productions)

As one might expect, the drivers are the stars of the show and in the form of rising star Harry Tincknell, relishing the opportunity to emulate his mentor Allan McNish, and entrepreneur Simon Dolan, whose burning passion to succeed in motorsport provides a focus for the picture, Journey to Le Mans has a strong human story to tell. Overcoming an enforced driver change on the eve of the race, sleep deprivation and biblical rainstorms, there can be no questioning how much it meant to all concerned to conquer the biggest and toughest race on the sportscar calendar. Ticknell’s beaming smile when interviewed following his first experience of the Circuit de la Sarthe was a joy to behold, matched only by the unbridled elation of the post-race celebrations with team affiliated drivers Filipe Albuquerque and Marc Gene.

Further interviews with team manager Sam Hignett, performance engineer Pete Webster and chief mechanic Bob Friend lift the lid on the camaraderie within the team, a vitally important, yet oft-overlooked aspect of motor-racing. This is powerfully underlined by footage of Jota mechanics waiting apprehensively for news in the immediate aftermath of Dolan’s violent accident at Silverstone, a haunting reminder that motorsport remains a fundamentally dangerous sport, despite the safety improvements made in recent years.

All the right people are doing all the right things; with the gravitas and authority that Sir Patrick Stewart lends to the narration and expert commentary provided by Radio Le Mans’ own John Hindhaugh, there’s a lot to like and plenty for the average viewer to engage with. And thanks to its slick editing and evocative cinematography that tells a story all of its own, Journey to Le Mans certainly doesn’t look out of place on the big screen. The film deserves credit for capturing the spectacle of Le Mans in all its resplendent glory, from the frenzy of the driver’s parade to the ethereal quality of the night-time interjected by headlights, all overlaid with sonorous engine noise. Petrolheads can’t go wrong.

If you’re a fan of motorsport, or any sport for that matter, don’t miss it.