NOW IN THEATERS! Director Joseph Kosinski and producer Jerry Bruckheimer team up for F1, a high-octane racing drama starring Brad Pitt as a former driver seeking redemption. With immersive cinematography and intense racing sequences, will F1 be this year’s Top Gun: Maverick for motorsports?
The film follows veteran driver Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt), who once had a promising career in Formula One until a tragic accident forced him into early retirement. Years later, he’s quietly dominating other forms of auto racing as the film opens with the 24 Hours of Daytona. After the win and another immediate retirement, he’s approached by his old F1 teammate, Ruben (Javier Bardem), now a team owner, to help mentor a struggling rookie. That rookie is Joshua Pierce (Damson Idris), a talented but arrogant young driver who needs discipline and teamwork to succeed. Ruben convinces Sonny to return to F1 racing—not just to mentor Pierce, but to help turn around the team’s performance. If Ruben’s team cannot win a race, he will be forced to sell his team. As Sonny and Joshua clash and bond, they must both confront their demons and grow in order to succeed.
In true Bruckheimer Top Gun fashion, there are numerous other subplots, such as Joshua’s insecurities about being underestimated as a driver. Kerry Condon plays Kate McKenna, a brilliant engineer who quits her job to design race cars. Of course, as a woman, she is also underestimated. See the pattern? Sonny is underestimated because of his age and the accident. No one has faith in Ruben to pull together a team.
Brad Pitt portrays Sonny Hayes, enjoying a moment of cool confidence at a casino in the racing drama F1.
“It’s a game of chess, finding advantages within the rules.”
While the story is familiar and formulaic, F1 works best as an immersive experience. The racing sequences are spectacular—shot with drones and cameras placed directly inside the cars to simulate being in the cockpit. This is where the film shines and demands to be seen in IMAX or 4DX. It may not have the emotional pull or cultural impact of Top Gun: Maverick, but as a racing movie, it gives you a visceral thrill. Brad Pitt brings his usual charisma to Sonny Hayes, and Damson Idris delivers a solid performance with a well-defined character arc. I also appreciated that the film focused on rivalry rather than race, allowing the dynamic between Hayes and Pierce to develop naturally.
Another subtle but interesting aspect is how the film highlights women in pit crew roles—three of the four behind-the-scenes characters given meaningful arcs are women. Whether intentional or not, it offers a nice (albeit suspicious) contrast to the usual male-dominated sports environment. That said, the film’s strengths lie in its spectacle rather than its script. It doesn’t reinvent the sports movie, but it delivers a solid and entertaining version of one.
F1 is not Top Gun Maverick, but it’s pure popcorn fun. It’s gear porn to the max. Sonny bends the rules to win. You’d think F1 is all about driving along the track, but for Sonny, it’s a game of chess, finding advantages within the rules, such as forcing other drivers to knock parts of his car onto the track, triggering a cleanup period—whatever the technical term is in F1 racing. Sonny is sneaky and driven by pure adrenaline.
F1 may not hit the emotional highs of Hoosiers or the dramatic punch of Ford v Ferrari, but it’s a whole lot of Miami Vice. The story may be light, but the execution is strong, and the performances are engaging. It’s one of my go-to movies to see again this year, and it’s worth watching in a premium format.
"…It's gear porn to the max."
