One of the reasons we love sport is because it gives us storylines that you don’t see anywhere else.
So when it was announced that Formula One would be turned from the all-consuming sporting media beast into a Hollywood blockbuster, simply titled F1, it was naturally intriguing as to howthings could play out.
We meet Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt), a down-on-his-luck veteran, living in the back of a van, but clearly quick behind the wheel. Hayes is sounded out by former teammate Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem), the owner of the struggling Apex Grand Prix team in desperate need of a driver.
Apex needs to claim a win from the final races of the season to convince its board of directors to keep the team alive, leaving Hayes and teammate Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris) the near-impossible task of competing for the chequered flag in the slowest car on the grid.
Without getting into spoiler territory, this is an underdog story in every sense. The audience will very quickly be invested in wanting Formula One’s fictional 11th team to live on and fight another day.
In a lot of ways, the film is closer to an advert for Formula One than anything else. But the actual production is anchored in authenticity.
Directed by Joseph Kosinski, the brain behind Top Gun: Maverick, no expense has been spared in making F1 frighteningly close to the real thing.
As someone who sits through race after race for a job, there were genuinely times where I forgot I was watching a film, and not actual on-board vision from a real Grand Prix.
The crew were embedded on the actual Formula One grid during the 2024 season. The majority of the 20 real drivers make an appearance in some capacity, as do team principals Toto Wolff (Mercedes), Zak Brown (McLaren), Fred Vasseur (Ferrari) and even Formula One CEO Stefano Domenicali. Kiwi driver Liam Lawson has two fleeting moments on screen.
And although the actors were never behind the wheel of real Formula One cars, settling for genuine machinery from Formula Two is a very good compromise.
However, while realism has clearly been front and centre in production, there are a couple of moments that are hard to overlook – for purists at least.
The Apex Grand Prix car at Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina Circuit. Photo / Scott Garfield, Warner Bros, Apple Original Films
The fact Pitt’s character would be well into his 50s, if not 60s, and taking to some of the most iconic tracks in motorsport is hard to ignore. No number of pull-ups would see him through the Eau Rouge corner in Belgium in real life.
That’s not to mention the major plot holes of how he’s able to have earned a Super Licence after 30 years out of Formula One, and how he can compete in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after not taking part in qualifying.
At the end of the day, though, it’s just a film, and one that is enjoyable for the most part.
At a time where the Formula One audience is fragmented into Drive to Survive enthusiasts and old-school fans trying to prove they’re anything but the former, F1 probably has enough for both.
Old-school fans can appreciate the camera technology used, leading to racing scenes that dwarf classics like Days of Thunder or Rush.
Meanwhile, anyone who consumes Formula One in three-minute highlights packages on a Monday morning can at the very least be caught up in the authenticity of saying “ooh look, Lewis Hamilton”.
What’s more, the look into strategy and tactics of a Formula One team is a much-needed insight for casual fans to understand that racing isn’t just about going as fast as you for 50 laps.
