After soaring to box office heights with Top Gun: Maverick, director Joseph Kosinski trades fighter jets for Formula One cars in F1: The Movie—a sleek, high-octane sports drama starring Brad Pitt. From the very first scene, the film jolts viewers into motion as Pitt’s character, Sonny Hayes, jolts awake in a beat-up van at Daytona and dives straight into a grueling endurance race. What follows is a visual and sonic spectacle, powered by Claudio Miranda’s kinetic cinematography and Hans Zimmer’s pulse-pounding score. With real-world racetracks, cockpit cameras, and roaring engines, F1 doesn’t just show racing—it makes you feel it.
A Maverick in the Driver’s Seat
Kosinski, known for taking audiences into the sky with Top Gun: Maverick, now brings them to the racetrack with F1. The film opens with a cinematic jolt: Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt), a former F1 prodigy now turned drifting vagabond, wakes up in a van at Daytona and jumps right into a 24-hour endurance race. From the first lap, F1 showcases its technical mastery—Claudio Miranda’s cinematography keeps the camera zooming and weaving through real circuits, making the audience feel every hairpin turn and engine roar.
Zimmer’s dynamic score—featuring both synth-heavy compositions and classic rock anthems like We Will Rock You—amplifies the adrenaline-fueled atmosphere. The result is an immersive sensory experience that captures the elite world of Formula One racing with unprecedented clarity and motion.
The Plot: Underdog Revival with Familiar Beats
At the heart of the story is Sonny Hayes, once a golden boy of Formula One until a devastating crash three decades ago ended his career. In the years since, he’s been racing anything with wheels—taxis, local circuits, even gambling for gas money. But when his old friend Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem), now the head of a struggling F1 team called APX, invites him back to the sport, Sonny reluctantly agrees.
His mission? To revive a failing team and mentor a hotheaded rookie, Noah Pearce (Damson Idris). Predictably, Sonny’s return sets off rivalries and sparks, particularly with Noah, who sees the veteran as outdated competition. Over time, the two evolve from adversaries to teammates, though this arc unfolds with minimal tension or surprise.
Flashy Characters, Flat Dialogue
Despite Pitt’s natural charisma and screen presence, Sonny Hayes never feels like a fully formed character. He enters the film already emotionally healed and physically ready, showing none of the psychological baggage you’d expect from someone who survived a near-fatal crash. There are no visible flaws beyond a cocky swagger and charming indifference to fame or money.
The supporting cast tries to inject life into their roles. Kerry Condon plays Kate McKenna, APX’s technical director and the film’s primary female lead, with a grounded energy. Her chemistry with Pitt adds warmth to an otherwise chilly script. Damson Idris delivers a capable performance as the brash newcomer learning humility and teamwork, though his character is largely reduced to a familiar sports-movie trope.
The dialogue, however, often trips up the performances. From clunky expositional lines like “This is not where you want to be – last place,” to uninspired exchanges during pivotal scenes, Ehren Kruger’s script rarely soars. Even the on-track commentary feels overexplained, as if the filmmakers didn’t trust the audience to follow the action without constant verbal hand-holding.
Racing Scenes: Where the Film Truly Shines
When F1 puts the pedal to the metal, it’s undeniably exhilarating. Kosinski and Miranda use practical effects and real-world F1 tracks—including the iconic Silverstone Circuit—to capture the brutal beauty of the sport. With cockpit-mounted cameras, immersive sound design, and seamless editing, the races feel alive and visceral.
This technical precision is no accident. The film had full cooperation from Formula One and even counts legendary driver Lewis Hamilton as an executive producer. As a result, F1 presents the sport in an uncritical, near-reverential light—almost like a corporate promo with characters. The film never touches on the darker or more controversial aspects of Formula One, opting instead for polished surfaces and brand-friendly narratives.
An Engine That Doesn’t Quite Roar
While F1 boasts a breathtaking look and feel, its story rarely veers from the expected. The team starts at the bottom, struggles through a few early races, and predictably climbs to contention with Sonny’s return. The emotional beats land softly rather than powerfully, and the film avoids any real dramatic risks.
Its biggest shortcoming might be its reluctance to challenge its hero or its sport. Sonny is too perfect, the team’s success too neat, and Formula One itself is portrayed as a gleaming, faultless machine. As a result, F1 lacks the narrative stakes and emotional heft of superior racing films like Rush, Ford v Ferrari, or the documentary Senna.
Final Verdict
F1 is a technical marvel with breathtaking racing sequences and a charismatic lead in Brad Pitt. It captures the sleek, sensor-driven world of Formula One with realism and reverence. But while its visuals are top-tier, its character arcs and screenplay never quite shift into top gear.
For Formula One enthusiasts and fans of flashy sports dramas, F1 will likely entertain. For everyone else, it may feel more like a victory lap than a compelling race to the finish.
Film Details:
- Title: F1
- Director: Joseph Kosinski
- Cast: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem, Kim Bodnia, Tobias Menzies
- Runtime: 155 minutes
- Rating: PG-13 (for strong language and action)
- Release Dates: UK – June 25 | US – June 27
- Studio: Apple Studios (released by Warner Bros.)
Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3 out of 4 stars)
Best For: Formula One fans, Brad Pitt admirers, lovers of high-octane cinematography.
Skip If: You want depth, unpredictability, or strong character arcs.
