F1 (also called F1 the Movie) is the summer blockbuster we’ve been waiting nearly a year to watch, and it was worth the wait. The depiction of the world of the sport, the cinematography, the alternative history, and the central characters were the beaming pillarstones of what made a film about Formula One great.
The film follows Sonny Hayes (portrayed by Brad Pitt) as a former Formula One driver invited by the owner of a struggling team (Javier Bardem) to have another shot at motorsport glory, as well as mentor rookie Joshua Pierce (Joshua Pierce). To give credit where credit is due, the film is directed by Joseph Kosinski (credits include Tron: Legacy and Top Gun: Maverick) and written by Ehren Kruger (credits include Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon, and Top Gun: Maverick). Producers include Brad Pitt, Jerry Bruckheimer (notable credits include Days of Thunder, the Top Gun films, and the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, among many other notable films), and Lewis Hamilton. Toto Wolff, the Team Principal of Mercedes, served as one of the Executive Producers.
Hamilton’s role as a producer, by the way, was not one of vanity. He was especially instrumental in vetting the script, flagging inaccuracies, correcting outdated portrayals of the paddock, and pushing for realism. He also ensured that everything, from radio chatter to the subtleties of driver briefings, rang true, fought against clichéd character arcs, and advocated for a nuanced portrayal of the drivers. And kudos to him, because his efforts certainly paid off.
Before I keep going, be warned: there will be spoilers below, so if you haven’t watched the film, read at your own risk.
I appreciated the film’s embracing of the full scope of Formula One - the racing, the strategy, the engineering, the data, the physical training, the behind-the-scenes business drama, and even the powers-that-be of the FIA. It renews appreciation for the sport, while also emphasizing the realistic teamwork and numerous factors (including, yes, the miracles and “Hail Marys”) that contribute not only to a Grand Prix victory but also to a team’s overall viability.
All the paddock and track scenes, by the way, were shot on location at actual Grand Prix venues (Silverstone, Hungaroring, Spa, Monza, the Las Vegas Strip, Yas Marina, and every single race depicted on-screen). Yes, the driver cameos during the national anthem line-ups, Zak Brown and Frederic Vasseur at the Team Principal conference, and Fernando Alonso patting Brad Pitt on the back in the press booth were filmed in the actual temporary ecosystems that sustain the races from Thursday to Sunday. I was relieved to see that there was nothing cringey about the number of cameos or their speaking parts. It sets up the world of the sport and grounds viewers within the broader context of the season, specifically the Constructors’ Championship, which aligns with the film’s emphasis on the importance of teamwork.
The best cameo belongs to Lewis Hamilton (in his old Mercedes garb), specifically when he sized up Joshua Pierce during the red flag pit lane at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. It set up the on-track David and Goliath battle perfectly - the young and eager rookie with a learned aggressive style versus a seven-time world champion who happens to be one of the best defenders on the grid, the perfect David and Goliath moment if you will. Even if you didn’t know who Lewis Hamilton was, his silent presence on and off the track conveyed that he is a force to contend with on the track.
The racing scenes were filmed with custom-built F2 cars dressed in APXGP livery and fitted with cameras. And this wasn’t set dressing, either. The vehicles were actually running in practice sessions, weaving between McLarens and Mercedes on track with real telemetry and cornering data. To film Pitt and Idris in the cockpits, Kosinski partnered with the team behind Top Gun: Maverick’s aerial footage to mount state-of-the-art cameras inside the cockpit to depict what it feels like to drive wheel-to-wheel at 200 miles (and more) per hour. And, my goodness, it was so immersive that my heart was racing and adrenaline coursed through my veins the entire film. I left the cinema with a roller-coaster high, which, by the way, is how I prefer to feel after any action-packed movie. The racing choreography - the straights, turns, overtakes, pit stops, spin-outs, and even crashes was thrilling, natural (unlike other racing films that seem to take creative license with on-track action), and felt like actual Grands Prix. I had to keep reminding myself that APXGPX was a fictional eleventh Formula One team.
The on-location filming, cameos, and seeing actual F1 cars gave us a fully fleshed-out alternate F1 universe that coexists beside reality, rather than against it. The fictional team even had its garage alongside the other teams at the circuits depicted on screen. APXGP’s turmoils - a struggle to get into points, the technical design troubles, business troubles, and the possibility of shutting down are no different from the issues that the real teams endure. Anyone who has watched Drive To Survive has a foundational awareness of how boards can make or break a team, as seen over the seasons with Alpine, Aston Martin, and Haas.
The alternative history aspect goes even further with the backstory of Sonny Hayes - an American Formula One driver who raced for Team Lotus (with the distinctive yellow Camel-sponsored car) in the 1990s who suffered a horrific crash at the 1993 Spanish Grand Prix after trying to battle Ayrton Senna, who is never seen on screen but his spectacular driving style in the iconic McLaren Marlboro livery is unmistakable for those in the know. Given how the 90s saw the emergence of Formula One legends (including Michael Schumacher, Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, Mika Häkinnen, and Damon Hill) as well as very dark chapters of accidents that were both lethal and near-fatal, the weaving of Hayes in that era makes him the perfect tragedy - the legend who never was, making him all the more compelling as the protagonist to root for.
I found myself rooting for both Hayes and Joshua Pierce (the deuteragonist, played by the electrifying and show-stopping Damson Idris) the entire film. Pierce is instantly likeable as an eager driver who wants to keep his seat in Formula One (a very real problem that rookies face each season) and thanks to Hayes’ unexpected comeback, is pushed into a journey that helps him embrace what he truly needed - to hone the skills and mindset necessary to pave a foundation that will no doubt put on the same pedestal as Hamilton, Verstappen, and other champions. Their comedic bickering, their tense rivalry, and their mutual support encapsulate the complex relationship between teammates, underscoring the importance of collaboration, regardless of the team, in a way that feels organic and ultimately human. By the very end of the film, I wanted both Hayes and Pierce to win, and would have been happy to see them both on the podium. Nonetheless, Hayes winning the race, getting his much-needed closure, and disappearing into the Baja sunset after saving both APXGP and Pierce’s seat, makes him the perfect nomadic cowboy who stays true to his racing spirit, much like in the westerns.
Pierce’s Monza crash, which was along the fiery inferno lines of Niki Lauda’s crash at 1976 German Grand Prix and Romain Grosjean’s at the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix, was no doubt the scariest moment of the film and nearly gave me a heart palpitation - I knew he wasn’t going to get killed off but that was the outcome I honestly would have teared up. That being said, if a Damson Idris-led sequel were ever to emerge, I would absolutely watch it.
F1, overall, was thrilling to watch from start to finish and had me on the edge of my seat. I highly recommend watching it in theaters, if possible. If you’re looking to introduce the important people in your life to this sport, insist that they watch this immediately.
