In what turned out to be one of the most regrettable weekends in Formula 1, the San Marino Grand Prix took its toll on two drivers, Ratzenberger and Senna, who ended up losing their lives while in the line of duty. It's a tragedy that has been subject to mourning, debate and analysis and that played a role in improving conditions for other F1 drivers in the years to come, most likely saving lives in the process. This documentary's focus is on the perspective of Damon Hill and his experience of the weekend and the 1994 season, twenty years after the events.
The ground treaded here is well known and no new facts are introduced in understanding what happened. Yet, there is an eeriness to it that recommends it, as Hill and Brabham, the teammates of Senna and Ratzenberger, walk around the empty circuit and retell their feelings of that weekend. The archive footage, while avoiding the explicit and disturbing images of the accidents, contrasts the quiet and serene present day narration, with people and cars buzzing around Imola in what should have been just another racing affair. Hill and Schumacher (the latter in an archival video) both acknowledge that the season would have most likely had a different outcome with the Brazilian on the grid.
Compared to the Senna documentary, this is a slight entry in the pantheon of films that shed light on that day, or even on the season. It gets its focus right, mostly setting the season's controversies to the side, but cannot abstain from taking a few jabs at Benetton and Schumacher in the process. Yet, as a fan of the sport and in particular of its incarnation in the 90s and 00s, there is always some value in films which explore F1 and get their tone right. From this point of view, The Last Teammate is worth its time.
