Cover A scene on the racetrack in the film, ‘F1’ (Photo: Apple)
A scene on the racetrack in the film, ‘F1’ (Photo: Apple)
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Driven by both its stars and authenticity, ‘F1’ is a high-speed crowd pleaser with pitch-perfect details—spoilers ahead
There’s been a lot of publicity surrounding this Brad Pitt-led, Joseph Kosinski-directed picture for a while. Beyond its A-list lead and a director best known for the 2022 box office juggernaut Top Gun: Maverick, there is no shortage of big names tied to the project. The film features an energetic score by Hans Zimmer, counts Jerry Bruckheimer and seven-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton among its producers, and includes cameos from several of the sport’s most notable figures today.
Because it was developed in collaboration with the FIA, racing sequences were shot during actual Grand Prix weekends, making them highly authentic and immersive on the big screen. Swiss watchmaker IWC Schaffhausen, which has long held a presence in F1, also signed on, bringing its signature precision and style to the movie’s sleek, high-performance aesthetic.
Read more: Watches in the world of motorsports: why they matter and the best racing-inspired pieces today
A star-studded flick such as this just seemed like the next logical step after Drive to Survive, the hit documentary-style Netflix series that turbocharged Formula 1’s global popularity and proved there’s a massive appetite for high-octane storytelling on and off the track. If you’re familiar with the show at all, you can expect F1 to be a dialled-up version of the drama, neatly wrapped in a classic underdog sports story.
Considering how longtime motorsport fans have strong, mixed reactions to Drive to Survive’s creative liberties, F1 may be best enjoyed with a pinch of salt and a taste for spectacle. Fair warning: spoilers ahead.
Above The intense racing scenes were shot during actual F1 Grand Prix weekends (Photo: Apple)
The intense racing scenes were shot during actual F1 Grand Prix weekends (Photo: Apple)
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There’s authenticity, and there’s realism. Pitt’s character, Sonny Hayes, is introduced as a “nomadic racer-for-hire” and known gambler whose Formula One career in the Nineties ended after a horrific crash. He is “the greatest that never was”—a fate lost to time that keeps him on track, albeit elsewhere, anywhere. An old friend and former teammate (played by Javier Bardem) comes knocking, pleading with him to return to F1 after three decades, mentor young prodigy Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris) and save the struggling Apex Grand Prix (APXGP) team he now owns.
There is an immediate ask upon viewers that is cleverly, or too conveniently, woven into the script: how believable is it for a man of Hayes’s age, nationality and reputation to claim a seat in the pinnacle of motorsport, on a grid as cutthroat as F1’s? Realistically, not so much. Bardem’s character, Ruben Cervantes, offers: there have actually been drivers racing well into their fifties. On the current, real-life grid, Spaniard Fernando Alonso is nearly 44, while the youngest driver is 18-year-old Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
See also: Meet Oscar Piastri: the Australian leading the 2025 Formula 1 drivers’ championship
Above Damson Idris’s Joshua Pearce contends with Brad Pitt’s Sonny Hayes in 'F1’ (Photo: Apple)
Damson Idris’s Joshua Pearce contends with Brad Pitt’s Sonny Hayes in 'F1’ (Photo: Apple)
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Whether or not the factual comparison is enough, Pitt delivers yet another one of his charismatic performances as Hayes, even as he settles into a well-worn suit and a plot that doesn’t take too many risks. It makes use of time-tested tropes—an underdog team, the mentor-mentee dynamic, a story of second chances—which, while cliche, are still effective in driving this redemption story forward.
It’s also worth noting that Hayes, at times, has this near-saviour portrayal that leaves the other characters suffering. Idris’s Pearce only gets his first points thanks to Hayes; Kerry Condon’s Kate McKenna, the APXGP technical director, manages to fix the car after Hayes points out its flaw. Bardem plays a man who’s bet the farm on Hayes delivering him a miracle. And that, he does, of course.
In spite of this, F1 The Movie still keeps you on the edge of your seat for most of its 2.5-hour runtime. Its masterfully shot racing sequences and sheer scale of production give F1 fans the same thrill as watching a Grand Prix live. Others have said that Hamilton’s role as a producer grounded the film in authenticity, and this stood out as one of its strengths.
While a total novice could definitely still appreciate F1 The Movie for its pacing and action, expect that it won’t skip over the sport’s more technical jargon and necessary off-track work. Following along from the paddock to the APXGP headquarters, you can’t help but admire how much the “sidelines” could make the crucial split-second difference between losing and winning. Amusingly, if you’ve followed a real F1 team closely, you might find APXGP’s strategic blunders echoing the very missteps of your favourite team.
More from Tatler: 10 Formula 1 movies and documentaries to get you hyped for Apple’s ‘F1’
Above As watch sponsor of the real-life Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team and fictional Apex Grand Prix (APXGP) team, IWC Schaffhausen bridges the real and cinematic world of F1 (Photo: IWC)
Above ‘F1’ film’s sets and production bring the sport’s visceral intensity to the big screen (Photo: IWC)
As watch sponsor of the real-life Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team and fictional Apex Grand Prix (APXGP) team, IWC Schaffhausen bridges the real and cinematic world of F1 (Photo: IWC)
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Above Brad Pitt, Lewis Hamilton and Damson Idris at the world premiere of the film, ‘F1’ (Photo: Apple)
Brad Pitt, Lewis Hamilton and Damson Idris at the world premiere of the film, ‘F1’ (Photo: Apple)
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It’s also through such attention to detail that makes the film a love letter to those who live and breathe F1. From the unmistakable voices of Sky Sports commentators Martin Brundle and David Croft to the sharp IWC watches quietly stealing their scenes, to the must-see cameos of drivers from the 2024 grid, Hamilton’s much-loved bulldog Roscoe and even a cheeky scene from fan-favourite team principal Guenther Steiner, there are several nods to the culture and aesthetic many have come to know and love.
F1 The Movie may not ultimately break new narrative ground, but it delivers crowd-pleasing, visually spectacular entertainment, whether you’re a motorsport enthusiast or just in for the adrenaline. And it may just do for F1 what Top Gun: Maverick did for aviation—spark new passion. The visceral, IMAX-level intensity makes it worth seeing in the cinema, and when you do, take Hayes’s advice to his misguided deuteragonist: drown out the noise and embrace the ride.
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Trained as a student journalist, Mac’s knack for writing was a serendipitous discovery. Years later and she can’t imagine doing anything else. When she isn’t typing away on a story, she revels in being lost in a new city, revisiting a cosy film or sitcom, and idling away with her dogs.
