F1: The Movie review: Brad Pitt delivers action, adrenaline and drama as he takes us to the world of Formula One!

Despite its cinematic liberties that may irk die-hard F1 fans, the plot still keeps you gripped from start to finish.

F1: The Movie review: The world of Formula One is not just about the relationship between a driver and his car. Contrary to popular belief, it actually is a team sport. There are thousands of people who give it their all to make the best car possible, come up with the best strategy there is for their team and make the impossible come true! It gives not just the drivers and their teams the high of a possible win every Sunday, but also its fans who dedicate their weekends and invest their time into this motor sport. Formula One gives us hope that at any moment the tables could turn; it’s not over until the driver crosses the checkered flag. One driver’s bad luck could be another's fortune. It’s as good as watching a thriller every weekend and Joseph Kosinski’s F1: The Movie brings a lot of this to life on the big screen!

F1: The Movie revolves around Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt), a done and dusted Formula One driver who used to be known for his reckless driving back in the day. He is roped back into the APEX GP Formula One team by Ruben (Javier Bardem), his friend from back in the day. He teams up with Joshua Pierce (Damson Idris) who isn’t really happy about Sonny’s arrival and the two hit it off to a rough start. As the story unfolds further, you see the duo’s highs as Sonny takes Joshua under his wing and the lows of their rivalry. But how Sonny proves the phrase it’s about the driver not the car as he competes alongside the biggest Formula One teams, with a car that isn’t exactly at par with them is where the crux of the plot lies. 

Also Read: The Bear season 4 review: A season rooted in the art of healing with one heartbreaking conversation at a time!

There’s so much to unpack here as a Formula One fan! Firstly, the racing scenes are a nail bitting, high-octane, edge of the seat experience. It feels like you’re watching an actual race on TV, but only here the IMAX screen makes it so much more immersive and intense. The movie briefly takes us back to the Senna era and swiftly brings us back into the 2024 season, touching upon how far the sport has come in terms of safety, technology and fame on the global map. Having said that, the film does take a bit of cinematic liberty and adds a whole lot of behind the track drama, which isn’t exactly true in real life (at least not always). But it works in the bigger picture as it keeps you hooked as an audience and none of the drama takes away or ruins the authenticity of the sport. Speaking of authenticity, the film was shot during actual Formula One Grand Prix’s that took place last year. Without disturbing any of the teams or drivers IRL, the cast and crew managed to shoot in real F1 circuits, surrounded by actual fans and media frenzy. It actually makes you believe that there was an 11th team on the grid. 

One of the producers of the movie is none other than seven time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton. Hence, we see the film getting such close access to the sport. We see so many drivers from the current grid do cameos in the film and you cannot help but smile when you see them on the big screen. Even popular media personnel in the F1 world like Will Buxton bring in their acting A game. We have David Croft’s iconic voice saying ‘lights out and away we go’ on top of him actually commenting on all the races during the film. Brad Pitt and Damson Idris drive actual Formula One cars in the film to represent the drivers as accurately as possible and make you root for them in a fictional race. That is a job well done, IMO!

I love that the story also lets every department of a Formula One team shine. Right from the engineers who make the car, the hard working pit stop team, the team publicist to the constantly anxious team principal, everything comes as a part and parcel of the sport even the FIA's annoying interference sometimes! The movie beautifully captures the fact that nothing is complete without the other here!

F1: The Movie isn’t your typical sports biopic or docu film that’ll only be relatable to F1 fans. It’s an entertaining film with a lot of feel-good moments that just want you to enjoy the ride. There used to be a time when most of the world wasn’t really aware of the ins and outs of Formula One but today, with good PR for the drivers, Netflix’s docu-series Drive to Survive and now this film, this sport is gaining attention from everyone around the world. While this movie is for all long term and new F1 fans today, it’s also for non-F1 fans to probably fall in love with the sport and join the conversation!

F1: The Movie is currently playing at a theatre near you!

For more reviews, follow us on @socialketchupbinge