In Pixar's Cars 3, Brian Fee directed Lightning McQueen's return to top-level racing.
Cars 3 was Fee's feature-film directorial debut. He had previously worked at Pixar as a storyboard artist, including on earlier Cars projects. The film follows McQueen as younger, technologically advanced racers make him question whether he can remain competitive. His principal rival is Jackson Storm, while Cruz Ramirez becomes an important trainer and teammate.
The story returns to the Piston Cup world and focuses more directly on aging, mentorship, and the future of racing. McQueen's training includes exercises at a demolition derby and modern simulator-based preparation. The plot eventually gives Cruz a larger racing role while McQueen redefines his own place in the sport.
John Lasseter directed the first Cars, and Brad Lewis directed Cars 2. Their involvement in the franchise can make the directors easy to confuse, but Brian Fee directed the third film.