Exclusive Interview: Daniel Brühl Talks ‘Race for Glory: Audi vs. Lancia,’ Bringing a Cinematic Flair to the Sport, and More

From the onset of his career, Daniel Brühl has accelerated toward success across various dimensions of his talent, encompassing writing, directing, producing, and acting. His remarkable capacity to immerse himself in a character and elevate captivating narratives has positioned him as a distinctive voice of his generation. Renowned for his roles in projects such as Rush, Next Door, and “Inglourious Basterds, Daniel currently captivates audiences as Roland Gumpert in the exhilarating Race for Glory: Audi vs. Lancia.

Based on a true story, Daniel Brühl and Riccardo Scamarcio (A Haunting in Venice) star in this David vs. Goliath story spotlighting the intense rivalry between Germany (Audi) and Italy (Lancia) at the 1983 Rally World Championships. Against all odds, Lancia battles to regain its former glory with an unbeatable combination of bold innovation and extraordinary courage.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Daniel about Race for Glory: Audi vs. Lancia, bringing a cinematic flair to the sport, his love for independent cinema, and more.

PC: You’ve worked with Riccardo [Scamarcio] in the past, and he actually thought of you for this role. What was that initial conversation when he pitched this project to you? What was it about it that resonated with you?
Daniel: Well, Riccardo and I have been friends for a long time. After Burnt, we wanted to find something else to work on together, so he came up with this project. My first instinct was to say no because I’ve done my bit in the racing world. I said, “I played Niki Lauda. I can’t do another race film.” He said, “No, but it’s not about the driver. It’s a sidekick role. It’s a small part playing the Audi manager.” I’ve been sponsored by Audi for a long time. I thought, “Oh, this could be fun.” He said, “You’ll see! We’re always making fun of each other. We can bring that to another level in this film.” I had a look at it and I loved it. I was intrigued by it right away because it’s a different game. Rally and Formula One are two very different worlds and sports. Cinematically speaking, what I saw on the page was something else, so I didn’t have the impression that I’d be repeating myself when I was shooting it.

I never thought of Rush, which was a good feeling. I’m extremely fond of Rush. It’s one of my standout experiences in my professional life. But this was a very different film, and I’m very happy with the result. They accomplished their mission with this project, and it’s very fun to watch.

PC: There’s so much authenticity that comes off the screen. Like so many people who are a part of this project, you’re also a multifaceted storyteller who has written, directed, and produced. How have your experiences behind the camera influenced the way that you approach your work on screen and interpret characters like Roland and scripts like Race for Glory?
Daniel: You’re always learning. Next Door was a wonderful experience to finally be the captain of the ship and be part of the entire process along the way. I love making films. Sometimes it’s a bit frustrating if you’re an actor because you’re excluded from so many steps. So I want to repeat this again. Working with Riccardo, who’s also a passionate producer and so into this project on so many levels, it was fascinating to watch how other people do it. You can always learn and take away something for yourself. That’s such a nice thing. It doesn’t stop being a learning process, and every approach is so different.

Here the challenge is, how do you translate the fascination for this sport to the screen and do it cinematically? How do you do that so you’re not sitting there thinking that watching a race is more fun than watching a film? That’s why when it works, which it did on Rush and on this film, it means there’s a lot of expertise and thoughts coming from the makers.

The Italians have a crazy way of shooting and getting there. [laughs] It’s guerrilla-like, but that’s how you get that authenticity. Sometimes it was the spontaneous decisions by the director to put the camera right in there. They’re like, “Don’t wait until the light is nice, just go in there. Catch the moments. In the race, let’s have another camera here and there. Let’s go for a crazy angle. Let’s do this and that.” That’s what you see in the film, it’s that feverish energy and that authenticity.

There’s also such a great soundtrack and great music. I’m 45. I was born in ’78. I was watching the film, seeing these colors, the textures, and everything transfixed me. I thought, “Oh, man. That reminds me of my childhood.”

PC: It strikes that perfect balance between being character-driven and also honoring the sport. Like you were saying earlier, you’re no stranger to playing iconic figures in history. I know for Rush, you had the opportunity to speak with the man who you were depicting on the screen. How different is that preparation when you’re portraying a real-life person? Were you able to speak with Roland ahead of filming?
Daniel: I always leave that in the hands of the makers again, so Riccardo and Stefano [Mordini] because I asked for his contact, but they said they wanted to enter this film without any constraints and so forth. So Gumpert contacted me after he found out that I was in the film, but I was deep into something else. So I haven’t met him yet, but I can’t wait. I read and watched interviews. For the scale of this role, that was enough for me to work with.

In the case of Lauda, the film was on the shoulders of me and Chris [Hemsworth]. I told production that I needed to spend as much time as I can with him; otherwise, I can’t play the part. I was very persistent about it. Thankfully, Niki called me one day, and grumpy as he was, he said, “Come to Vienna.” [laughs] He liked me, and then at the end, I spent far more time with him than expected. That’s what made the film so good. But I couldn’t have done that without Niki’s support. So it always depends on the specific project and how big or small my part is and how the makers see it.

The Italians wanted us to be as free as possible because sometimes it can be limiting when you meet the person. For example, I’m pretty sure that Gumpert is a nice guy, and I had to play him a bit unpleasant. So sometimes it helps if you’re not worried about the actual person. It doesn’t become a burden.

PC: You’ve worked on projects of all sizes. What is it about independent filmmaking that excites you as a creative and storyteller?
Daniel: I guess the freedom. There’s always pressure on each and every film. It’s always a fight. That’s what I love about it. It’s madness every time. Making a film is done by obsessed and crazy people. [laughs] That’s how it is. There’s so much money, energy, and time that goes into it by so many people who work these long hours to tell that story. There’s something very beautiful about that that doesn’t stop being fascinating to me. Every experience is different. In indie films, it’s the world that I come from; it speaks to me a lot because this is the cinema that I like watching as an audience member and spectator. It allows you to not be stuck too much in the typical formula. You can allow yourself to be free and take more risks. So for my next film, I don’t want a massive budget. I don’t want to have that pressure. [laughs] I want to try and be as free and authentic as I possibly can.

To keep up with Daniel, follow him on Instagram. Race for Glory: Audi vs. Lancia is out in select theaters and wherever you stream movies.

Photo Credit: Pascal Buenning