With Brad Pitt behind the wheel and real Formula 1 tracks as the backdrop, “F1” is a glossy, adrenaline-fueled entry point into the world of F1. While it may not always follow the rules, straddling the line between sports realism and blockbuster spectacle, the film still manages to capture the spirit of the sport through the lens of a Hollywood fantasy.
The film follows Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) as he returns to the F1 racing world after a nearly three-decades-long hiatus from the sport. At 61 years old, Sonny is considered a racing legend. He is portrayed as a racer-for-hire, typically coming in for a one-race win for his team before moving on to the next challenge. That all changes when Sonny’s old friend Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem) asks Sonny to join his team, Apex Grand Prix, in hopes the driver’s return to F1 will get the team a much needed win. Along with Apex’s rookie driver, Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), Sonny must work harder than he ever has before to stand on the podium and regain the F1 glory he missed out on during his youth.
For the most part, “F1” gives an accurate portrayal of some of the sports realities, most notably with the data seen through the many training scenes dispersed throughout the movie. But, in typical Hollywood fashion, multiple parts of the film were overly dramatized or inaccurate for the sake of entertainment.
Some of these changes aren’t too big of a deal in the grand scheme of things. Sonny showing up to race the day of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix may not be allowed according to realistic F1 regulations, but it certainly makes for an exciting moment. But small changes to the rules of racing aren’t the only thing that makes this movie seem unrealistic.
As a longtime fan of the sport myself, Sonny’s “racing strategies,” no matter how thrilling they might have seemed, really drove me crazy while watching the film. Referred to as “Plan C for chaos” by the team, Sonny spent time in the film deliberately crashing into signs and hitting other cars in order to spread debris on the track and give his teammate a better chance in the race. With a sport so closely watched by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, the global governing body for motorsports, to keep drivers safe, Sonny’s moves on the track should have resulted in a penalty point or, at the very most, a one-race ban. The chaos is exciting in a movie setting, but fans of the film transitioning to the real sport shouldn’t expect Sonny’s strategy to be adopted by the actual teams.
Another issue I found with this film was its portrayal of women in motorsports. Whether they are fans of F1 or part of the Apex team, the women in this film often seemed to be very superficial or in need of a man’s help to get their job done.
When it comes to the female fans in the movie it is heavily implied that they are only interested in how attractive the drivers are. In fact, one of the only fans with a speaking role this film is a young woman who approaches Joshua to ask him to introduce her to fellow F1 driver Carlos Sainz. Being both a fan of the sport and a woman, it was infuriating to see such a shallow accusation seem to be made when it can already be so difficult for women to be taken seriously as motorsport fans.
On the Apex team, the most notable female character is Kate McKenna (Kerry Condon), the first female technical director in the movies fictional F1 history. As technical director, Kate is in charge of overseeing the performance of the car. Having worked on the team for nearly three years and producing a failing car every season, it turns out all she needed was Sonny to skim one manual and mansplain her job before Apex’s vehicle could actually finish a race. But the reliance she seems to have on Sonny to do her job is nothing compared to the reliance she has on him in every other aspect of this film as his love interest.
While I am someone who loves a touch of romance in my media, the relationship between Sonny and Kate felt like one of the most unnecessary plot points of this entire film. Even ignoring that several characters, including Kate herself, point out the unprofessional nature of dating someone within the team, Sonny and Kate’s relationship is just boring. Added to the fact that they cut out “Bridgerton” actress Simone Ashley’s role in the film, deciding that her character’s love story with Joshua was not as necessary, the relationship we do see becomes even more of a slap in the face.
Regardless of any unnecessary or unrealistic liberties the film took, it’s hard to ignore the beautiful shots in every race scene. Unless you are physically at the track during a race, as a fan it can be hard to gauge the sheer speed and intensity just through the screen. “F1” truly brings those elements into the theater. Coupled with an excellent score and audio mixing, at times it not only feels like you are watching the races live, but you are actually in the car with Sonny himself. While I went into the theater thinking it’d be hard to root for Sonny over drivers I’m a fan of in the actual sport, the filming and in-person feeling had me fully invested. I was jumping at every crash and cheering with each win like I had been a longtime Apex Grand Prix fan.
“F1” took the authenticity of the film one step further by filming at actual races during the 2023 and 2024 F1 seasons. Cameos from both real drivers and their team principles can be seen dispersed throughout the film, giving a more legitimate feel to Sonny and his team. Lewis Hamilton, a current driver for Ferrari and one of the producers on this film, was even able to secure British commentator David Croft for the movie. Croft has been commentating on Sky Sport’s F1 coverage since 2012 and has since become the voice of many iconic moments in F1 history. Sonny’s accomplishments on the track wouldn’t have felt as worthy without Croft’s British accent to break it down.
However I may feel about the less-than-realistic moments presented in this movie, I’m hopeful for the audience it can bring into the sport. It should be no surprise to anyone that F1 has been growing in recent years, with many popular brands selling merchandise for the sport, but “F1” has the opportunity to show people what this kind of racing is all about. It may not be perfect, but it’s a start, and for that reason I urge everyone unfamiliar to go get their first taste of the world of motorsports.
