F1 the Movie Review

F1, the movie produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Joseph Kosinski, is a racing film that revolves around Formula 1, the most exciting and prestigious level of motorsport, and Apex GP, a team that has been on the grid for only a short time and is on the brink of being forced to sell due to poor performance. The main character, Sonny Hayes, played by Brad Pitt, a long-time driver who once reached Formula 1, but scandals led to the end of his time there and a major decline in his career. Years later, he finds himself traveling from race to race, filling in for teams without a driver.

This leads to my first of many grievances with the movie. It is impossible to jump from racing series to racing series to fill in for teams on a week-to-week basis, mainly due to FIA racing license requirements. Racing purists have brought this up in subreddit discussions, and this is just the first of many things in the movie that would never happen in Formula 1 or racing in general.

Another major issue I have with the film is when Sonny intentionally gets a flat tire to help his teammate—twice within the span of five laps. While the FIA may sometimes seem slow to react, there is no way they would allow Sonny or Apex to continue racing if they saw this happening. It would put other drivers in danger and would almost certainly result in the cars being black-flagged and removed from the race.

Apex gp Race Car

My biggest issue with the movie occurs when Sonny, after being fired, shows up to the next race anyway. There is absolutely no way this could ever happen. Sonny would not even be allowed onto the track. However, this leads to an important point about who the movie is targeted toward and why it was made.

This movie is clearly aimed at people who have never watched racing or who are mainly familiar with the sport through the Netflix series Drive to Survive. If you go into the movie with the mindset that it is entertainment rather than a realistic portrayal of Formula 1, it is actually very enjoyable. The cinematography is stunning, especially with the use of real race cars and on-car cameras. The character development of Sonny is strong, showing his personal growth and transformation into a leader, while also showcasing exciting racing alongside real teams on the Formula 1 grid.

Overall, I would give F1 the movie a 78 on the Rotten Tomatoes scale.