Never in Formula 1 have we seen two drivers play with slipstreams so much to “trick” their rivals—and this is just one of the many implausible things that happen in F1 – The Movie. The new film by Joseph Kosinski, highly anticipated and much discussed even by the drivers themselves, turns out to be exactly the kind of product people expected.
If you can momentarily set aside the technical inaccuracies (and there are quite a few), you’ll find a disposable summer movie, designed purely for entertainment.
F1 – The Movie stars Brad Pitt as Sonny Hayes, a former Formula 1 legend who, according to the script, could have become an idol like Ayrton Senna (with whom he boasts of having raced). Then fate took over and sent him down other paths. Now, Sonny makes a living by entering as many races as possible—the opening sequence is set at the 24 Hours of Daytona.
Then comes the classic second chance: his longtime friend and now owner of the APX GP Formula 1 team (played by Javier Bardem) makes him an offer he can’t refuse—return to the track after more than thirty years and mentor a young but unstable rookie (Damson Idris), who reminds him of himself in his youth.
F1 – The Movie: What Worked
In terms of entertainment, the on-track scenes are the film’s strongest point. Thanks to onboard camera technology that captures overtakes and the action from Pitt’s perspective, viewers feel as though they’re right inside the car, racing against world champions like Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton.
Of course, some action scenes are wildly exaggerated—but that’s Hollywood. You don’t need the FIA to put on a show when cinema is involved. In real Formula 1, you’ll never see a car fly off the track and get wedged between trees at Monza.
The film’s highlights include the cameos from real F1 drivers, with Hamilton (also a producer of the movie) taking the spotlight. There are also quick scenes featuring Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, and Carlos Sainz, who “act” briefly.
F1 – The Movie: What Didn’t Work
The story revolves around the classic American dream—the outsider who becomes the hero. It’s a purely Hollywood film, where Formula 1 is overly dramatized (though we must remember it’s fiction). Brad Pitt becomes a kind of Blue Fairy tasked with performing miracles to help the paddock’s Cinderella, last-place team APX GP, live its dream—even if only for one race.
The result is a predictable narrative filled with genre clichés, with thinly written secondary characters (especially the already minimal female roles), all to give maximum screen time to Pitt, the undisputed lead.
Kerry Condon plays technical director Kate, assigned to design a winning car for the team, but her involvement with Sonny becomes a bit too personal. Damson Idris, as rookie Joshua, manages to carve out some space for himself, and his character’s backstory faintly echoes that of a young Lewis Hamilton.
Despite the oversight of the seven-time world champion, who worked to keep the screenplay somewhat grounded, Formula 1 can’t escape Hollywood’s rules. This is a film made for spectacle and entertainment—and that’s exactly how F1 – The Movie should be watched.
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