The film depicts the beginnings of the Hunt-Lauda rivalry in 1970 at a Formula Three event in London, where both drivers spun their cars and Hunt won the race. Lauda secured a bank loan to buy his way into the BRM Formula One team, alongside Clay Regazzoni. Hunt drove for the fledgling Hesketh Racing team before joining McLaren after Hesketh closed due to a lack of sponsorship. Lauda won his first championship in 1975 before joining Scuderia Ferrari with Regazzoni.
The 1976 season saw Lauda dominating the early races, while Hunt struggled. Hunt won the Spanish Grand Prix, but was initially disqualified; this ruling was later overturned, restoring his points. Following setbacks, Hunt’s situation was complicated by his separation from his wife, Suzy Miller, who began a relationship with actor Richard Burton.
The 1976 German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring saw Lauda urge a cancellation of the race due to dangerous weather conditions, a motion opposed by Hunt. During the race, Lauda crashed and his car burst into flames, resulting in severe burns. Hunt continued to race, winning several races during Lauda’s six-week recovery. Lauda returned to racing at the Italian Grand Prix, finishing fourth while Hunt did not finish.
The championship culminated at the rain-soaked 1976 Japanese Grand Prix. Hunt needed to finish third or better to win the championship. Lauda retired from the race on the second lap, deeming the conditions too dangerous. Hunt finished third, winning the championship by a single point.
Following his championship win, Hunt continued a lifestyle of “fame, sex, and drugs”, while Lauda developed an interest in flying private planes. Lauda urged Hunt to focus on defending his title, but Hunt expressed contentment with his lifestyle. Lauda reflected that Hunt’s lifestyle limited his future success. Before their 1976 rivalry reached its peak, both drivers had already established themselves as formidable competitors; Lauda began racing in Formula One in 1971, and Hunt entered the scene in 1973 .
Filming took place in the United Kingdom, Germany and Austria, including locations such as Blackbushe Airport, Snetterton, Cadwell Park, the former Crystal Palace and Brands Hatch motor racing circuits, and the Nürburgring. Both vintage racing cars and replicas were used during filming. The film was financed by Hürth-based action concept Film- und Stuntproduktion, Egoli Tossell Film, Revolution Films (GB), and Cross Creek Pictures (US). Additional funding was provided by MFG Filmförderung Baden-Württemberg and the German Federal Film Fund (DFFF).
Hans Zimmer composed the orchestral score for Rush. The soundtrack also includes 1970s rock music by artists such as Dave Edmunds, Steve Winwood, Mud, Thin Lizzy and David Bowie.
Rush received generally favourable reviews, with an 89% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 235 reviews. The critical consensus described the film as “a sleek, slick, well-oiled machine, with exhilarating race sequences and strong performances from Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl.” Metacritic assigned the film a score of 74 out of 100, based on 43 critics. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−".
Niki Lauda initially felt he was portrayed negatively in early footage, but was pleased with the final film, stating it was “very accurate”. He noted that it lacked “Hollywood changes”.
The film contains some exaggerations and inaccuracies. The Hunt–Lauda rivalry was portrayed differently than their earlier friendship, as they had shared a flat and were good friends. Some events were invented, such as Hunt assaulting a reporter on Lauda’s behalf, or the Nürburgring being nicknamed “the graveyard”. The British F3 battle at Crystal Palace and Hunt’s overtake on Regazzoni in the Japanese Grand Prix are also depicted inaccurately. The film also misrepresents the circumstances of an incident where Lauda helped Hunt rebuild his life after a period of alcohol addiction.