F1 The Movie: Review
Fuel, Speed, and Pure Cinema
The roar of the engines, the smell of gasoline and burnt rubber, the thrill of an overtake on the final corner. Formula 1 is not just a sport it’s a religion for those who love motorsport.
Cinematic Realism or a Faithful Representation of F1?
The production has done something never seen before: filming directly during official race weekends, right in the middle of drivers, pit crews, and crowds. The immersion is total: innovative cameras, including iPhone microcomponents embedded directly into the cars, have delivered breathtaking footage.
The result? A powerful visual experience, capable of making the audience feel as if they were on the starting grid. But is what we’re seeing truly Formula 1? No. It’s a more adrenaline-fueled, spectacular, and dramatic version created for a global audience.
The Plot:
Generational Duel & Hollywood Archetypes
F1 tells the story of Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt), a former driver retired for thirty years, called back to the track to save the Apex team from collapse. By his side is Joshua Noah Pierce (Damson Idris), a young talent full of skill and arrogance. The generational clash is the core of the narrative, much like in Top Gun between Maverick and Rooster.
A story we’ve seen before, but well crafted. Everything flows smoothly perhaps too smoothly: there are no real twists, and predictability reigns supreme.
F1 the Movie: Fiction Over Motorsport | When Hollywood Overtakes Sense
And here’s the point. F1 is spectacle, not sport. Some scenes would drive FIA stewards crazy in real life:
- Drivers refusing to leave the pits because of the wrong tire set.
- Maneuvers on the edge of foul play that, in real F1, would mean black flags, disqualifications, and endless penalties.
Those who love technical truth, strategies, grip, aerodynamics, the behavior of Pirellis through corners… well, they’ll find F1 too dramatized, too polished, too “American.” It’s not wrong, but let’s be clear: this isn’t F1, it’s Hollywood.
Conclusion
F1 the Movie is a cinematic experience that dazzles with spectacle, emotion, and Hollywood storytelling, but it should not be mistaken for the true essence of Formula 1. What we see on screen is not the raw, unpredictable, and technical world of motorsport, but rather a perfectly packaged product designed to engage a global audience. The film succeeds in creating adrenaline and excitement through innovative filming, Brad Pitt’s convincing performance, and breathtaking visuals that place the viewer right in the middle of the action. Yet beneath this polished surface lies a clear marketing strategy: a showcase meant to boost Formula 1’s popularity, expand its fan base, and sell the dream of racing to the masses.
For newcomers, it works brilliantly two and a half hours of pure immersion, even for those who know nothing about the sport. For long-time enthusiasts, however, it may feel too scripted, too idealized, and too far removed from the complexity of real racing, where strategies, aerodynamics, tire management, and split-second decisions decide victory or defeat. Still, dismissing it entirely would be unfair: F1 the Movie is high-quality cinema, ambitious in scope, and capable of leaving audiences with racing fever in their veins.
In the end, the film proves one thing: Formula 1 has become more than a sport it’s now a global brand, and this movie is its boldest promotional tool yet. The engine roars, the adrenaline is there, the emotion is undeniable. But the real Formula 1, with its authentic drama, unpredictability, and technical depth, continues to live on the circuits every race weekend, far away from the Hollywood spotlight.