F1: The Movie -The hollywoodification of Formula 1

Directed by Joseph Kosinski

“Hope is not a strategy. Create your own breaks.”

Sonny Hayes

F1: The Movie is a flashy, race sports drama directed by Joseph Kosinski with screenplay by Ehren Kruger. It was produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and a few others, Brad Pitt and Lewis Hamilton being amongst them. Kosinski, Bruckheimer and Ehren Kruger had also produced and directed Top Gun: Maverick – which was a stellar film. This one had all the backing to be considered one of the best, but it felt hollow aside from the racing. We are introduced to a retired racer and formula 1 prodigy, Sonny Hayes. He discontinues racing after a crash nearly kills him and prefers to operate nomadically as a racer for hire. Until one day he is approached by a former teammate Ruben Cervantes who is the owner of the APXGP Formula 1 team. He offers Sonny a chance to regain former glory by filling a spare seat on his team as an experienced racer, however Sonny reluctantly agrees as he is still reeling from the trauma of his past. He sashays onto the scene, bringing with him an unusual way to train for racing. The young, arrogant rookie racer Joshua Pearce is threatened by his addition and seeks to make that known at any moment he can. Though as seen in similar sports drama movies, the young whippersnapper refuses to heed correction from the old, wiser pro which results in disaster. Yes, we have seen this kind of film before and that is the problem with this movie; it brings nothing fresh to the table. There is also a throwaway romance between Hayes and the technical director, Kate McKenna, which we could have done without.

Regarding the casting, Sonny Hayes is portrayed by Brad Pitt in a lackluster, nonchalant manner. His character seemed inauthentic and disinterested – it really seemed like it was just Brad Pitt in a racing film. Joshua Pearce headlined by Damson Idris provided more appeal with his character yet on account of the simple dialogue, there is not enough depth to his character. Javier Bardem plays a convicted Ruben Cervantes that is concerned about his friend as well as the well-being of his team. Kerry Condon portrays a passionate technical director, but her character remains at the surface level in favor of developing a romance that is entirely unnecessary.

The massive appeal of the movie comes from the immersion it provides with stunning cinematography and racing sequences. It took a while to gain footing but gradually got better. Its immersive experience, especially when viewed in IMAX, allows the audience to feel as if they were on the sidelines of a formula 1 race. Paired with an original score by Hans Zimmer, it almost seemed unstoppable. However, a few choices within the film reduced the potency of the soundtrack. Despite Zimmer’s score, the music seemed overbearing at times when silence would have given a greater pay-off in contrast to the loud terrain of a racetrack. The deafening sounds of the track were paired with equally blaring music and detracted from a lot of those prominent moments. Dialogue in the film was littered with car jargon which the audience had to get acquainted with before fully engaging – but this is not a critique, merely an observation. The dynamic between Brad and Damson was neat, though it felt like it lacked a bit of authenticity between characters. Once again, because the dialogue struggled, most of the characters suffered from inauthenticity and it did not help that most of the set design was pristine and sterile. It pains me to see a set design that looks too clean, because it reminds you that you are watching a big, Hollywood produced movie. The cameos from real-life racers like Lewis Hamilton – who was one of the producers – and Charles LeClerc and more helped to sell the immersion as it was shot during the 2023 Formula 1 season. The film could have done without romance as it seemed irrelevant to the story and should have rendered more time into focusing on the relationship between Bardem and Pitt.

The true stars of the film were the race sequences and cinematography, apart from that F1: The Movie, feels like an over-produced Hollywood film with shallow characters and a formulaic storyline.

Watch trailer for F1: The Movie.

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