It must take a lot to leave a Hollywood icon starstruck, but Keanu Reeves was bursting with joy and wonder when he was interviewed on TV during coverage of the Formula 1 British grand prix at Silverstone in 2022.
At that event, Keanu shared how he was captivated by the story of Brawn GP's "really special" championship-winning season in 2009, which he learned more about after befriending someone who worked for the team at the time – so much so, in fact, that he wanted to make a TV show about it.
Now, the Matrix and John Wick star's long-awaited four-part documentary Brawn: The Impossible Formula 1 Story is finally streaming in its entirety, landing on Disney+ in countries including the UK, and Hulu in the US, today (November 15).
If you're a Formula 1 fan who's had your fill of Drive to Survive and want to take a little trip back in time, then this might be the miniseries for you.
Why watch Brawn: The Impossible Formula 1 Story?
If you're not massively into your motorsport, or only came to Formula 1 recently, then here's your chance to learn more about an iconic, standout year in the sport.
Keanu (who is a genuinely enthused narrator/interviewer throughout) talks to key players including Brawn GP owner Ross Brawn, drivers Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello, plus rival team bosses Christian Horner and Luca di Montezemolo (both of whom provide excellent soundbite value, as you'd expect from Horner's scene-stealing Drive to Survive asides).
What to Read Next
While those of you who followed the sport back then will likely know the circumstances of Brawn's formation and their triumphant 2009 season, there are a few little-known anecdotes woven through the four episodes – including the whereabouts of the symbolic pound that Ross paid for the team.
The documentary also delves deep into other stories from the 2009 season – and not just a battle over the legality of the double diffuser that was at the centre of Brawn's design concept (the FIA declared the cars were within the rules fairly early in the season, leaving their rivals free to design their own).
It also details a power struggle that came very close to changing Formula 1 as we know it between the teams (who constituted FOTA, or the Formula One Teams Association) and then-FIA president Max Mosley and then-Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone.
Episode three also goes into more depth about Felipe Massa's very serious accident with candid contributions from the ex-Ferrari driver, who talks Keanu through what happened and shows him the helmet he was wearing at the time.
As the miniseries progresses, there's also some real candour from Jenson Button, who feared his title chances would slip away – and he doesn't hold back on the impact this had on his mental resolve.
How to watch Brawn: The Impossible Formula 1 Story in the UK
Brawn: The Impossible Formula 1 Story is streaming exclusively on Disney+ in countries including the UK.
Following a change to the way Disney+ subscriptions are priced in the UK which took effect earlier this month, you have three tiers to choose from. The lowest-priced tier has adverts, while the highest-priced tier has the best streaming quality.
• Disney+ Standard with Ads: £4.99 per month (Ad-supported, no downloads, stream on up to two devices)
• Disney+ Standard: £7.99 per month or £79.90 per year (Downloads available on enabled content, stream on up to two devices)
• Disney+ Premium: £10.99 per month or £109.90 per year (Downloads available on enabled content, stream on up to four devices, video quality of up to 4K and HDR and sound quality of up to Dolby Atmos)
Note you'll need compatible hardware to make the most of the best video and audio quality on the Disney+ Premium plan.
All existing customers were due to be moved to the Disney+ Premium plan, so you may wish to check and, if you'd like to, switch to a different plan before your next billing cycle.
At time of writing, there is no free trial for Disney+ in the UK.
Disney+ with O2
Eligible O2 customers can still take advantage of an 'Extra', with the top-tier Disney+ premium plan as one of your options. Certain customers can get up to three months free on a new non-Plus plan, or up to six months free on a new Plus plan.
After that period, customers can add the Disney+ Premium Plan as a paid Extra, for £7.99 per month, and receive a £2 bill credit per month.
How to watch Brawn: The Impossible Formula 1 Story in the US
In the US, Brawn: The Impossible Formula 1 Story is streaming on Hulu.
New and eligible returning subscribers can take a free trial of up to a month, with further pricing as follows:
• Hulu (ad-supported): $7.99/month
• Hulu: $17.99/month (no ad breaks and minimal ads overall, only present in "a few shows that play with ads before and after the video.")
Bundle packages with various combinations of Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+ are also available, as well as premium packages including live TV.
Hulu is only available in the US (in fact, only "for members of a single US household"). The Hulu (With Ads) and Hulu (No Ads) packages are also available in Puerto Rico, plus on US military bases.
Kate (they/she) is a freelance writer, editor, digital editorial trainer and data technician who first joined Digital Spy as an overnight freelance sub-editor in January 2011, after studying a postgraduate diploma in journalism at Salford University while working part-time as a social researcher.
In July 2013, Kate joined the DS staff team as chief sub-editor and following six years as the site's managing editor, their role expanded to incorporate Hearst UK's entertainment portfolio (including Digital Spy and its sibling titles Best and Inside Soap) between late 2024 and early 2026.
Kate has worked as a writer and editor since 2006, with bylines syndicated across the Hearst network and at organisations including Metro. They started their career as a TV production runner for the BBC and contributed to various music websites, blogs and zines while based in Manchester.
During her time at DS, Kate has previously been a freelance sub-editor and chief sub-editor.
Kate's team at Digital Spy were proudly nominated in the Best Subbing/Production Team category at the BSME Talent Awards 2022. Over the years, she has contributed to coverage of many, many Prime Days and Black Friday/Cyber Monday, and was part of the team that launched the DS weekly TV newsletter in November 2019 – followed by the Top of the Shops e-commerce newsletter in May 2024.
Kate's screen passions include Taskmaster (their biggest career regret remains turning down the opportunity to visit the house), nature documentaries, and live sport (up there with the greatest of all soap operas although if asked to choose, it's Corrie… every time).
Her highlights while working at DS have included interviewing Stevie Nicks on the red carpet for her documentary In Your Dreams, sitting at a press roundtable with Formula 1 commentary icon Murray Walker, watching a life-sized LEGO car being driven around Silverstone, writing an album-by-album retrospective of Lady Gaga's genre-defying career for Living Legends, and raising awareness of receiving and understanding a late-in-life ADHD diagnosis through the lens of Bianca and Freddie's EastEnders storyline.
Upon remembering to log off the internet, Kate enjoys live theatre, dance and comedy, appreciating nature, baking (badly), tending a recently-rented allotment (equally badly) and pampering one very spoiled rescue cat named Jolene.
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