Kyra Odell and Matthew Gu contributed to this story.
It’s hard to deny that Formula One has become a new form of pop culture currency. Between Netflix’s smash hit series Drive to Survive and Joseph Kosinki’s F1: The Movie now hitting screens and already grossing a worldwide total of $144 million, the previously niche sport is certainly in the global spotlight—but how well does Hollywood really understand what it’s selling?
In the film, Brad Pitt stars as Sonny Hayes—a washed-up, van-dwelling, yet undeniably “cool” and all-American racing driver recruited to save a former teammate’s struggling F1 team, APXGP, from certain demise. It is less the story of Sonny learning to adapt to his new environment than it is the tale of the team’s need to accommodate Hayes’ impish, no-rules approach to racing and life. He clashes with his overconfident young teammate Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), kindles a romance with technical director Kate McKenna (Kerry Condon), and reaffirms the age-old ethos of sports cinema—that true victory comes from teamwork and racing for passion instead of money or clout. Objectively speaking, it’s a decent action flick that delivers two and a half hours of entertaining drama, both on and off-track.
However, as serious Formula One fans who have not only watched countless races on but who have also gained firsthand experience within the industry—both organizing a yearly event at McGill University in collaboration with the Aston Martin Formula One team around the Canadian Grand Prix, and working in paddock club hospitality services at three races around the world—we want to deliver more than a superficial film review. Our objective is to critically examine how well F1: The Movie really reflects the real-world sport that we’ve seen from both exterior and interior perspectives: does it really capture it all, or does it merely throw a shallow Hollywood gloss over what we know to be an intensely grueling, team-dependent, and strategy-driven sport?
In general, F1 ticks all the boxes of marks of a good film: the cinematography is well-executed and dynamic, Hans Zimmer’s score provides a grandiose auditory atmosphere, and each actor brings a convincing performance to the table. The story—of APXGP’s rise from the rear of the pack to the lead, and the interpersonal conflicts that arise along the way—is engaging, albeit somewhat predictable. There are some thoughtful symbolic features, such as Sonny’s high-stakes attitude being reflected in his habit of carrying a playing card while racing or in the contrast between his and his teammate’s living spaces and manner of dressing, which mirrors their divergent personalities. Product placement is noticeable, but relatively unobtrusive. The film falters when it comes to characters, however, as most of them—especially the women—feel one-dimensional and lack depth. Still, if you’re reading this article in search of a verdict on whether the movie is worth seeing, give it a go: it’s well-made, fun to watch, and you certainly won’t be bored.
If we were to put our cinematic standards aside and look at the movie solely as racing fans, F1: The Movie still hits surprisingly close to home despite its inevitable dramatics. For one, we appreciated the film’s effort to integrate its fictional storyline into the real world of F1. From glimpses of actual drivers in the paddock or on the podium to references to Drive to Survive and familiar media figures, the film certainly rewards knowledgeable fans with a wealth of Easter eggs and inside jokes. However, this authenticity comes at a price. As our own experience at Silverstone in 2024 (where camera crews and film sets crowded the paddock) attests to, filming on race weekends could be disruptive—pulling focus away from the sport itself at best, and interfering with drivers’ performances and focus at worst. Nonetheless, one thing the film nails is capturing just how little room for error there is in Formula 1—not only on the drivers, but on every member of the team. Particularly amongst the teams who occupy the middle and lower sectors of the grid, every single point can make the difference between survival and obscurity. As seen in the film, P10 might be a huge accomplishment for some, despite being a disappointment for those at the top. Furthermore, this pressure comes not only from sporting competitiveness, but also from executive leadership and important sponsors, making the sport as financially and politically intense as it is athletic.
Accordingly, performance in F1 is not just a matter of drivers’ talent but is instead an immense group effort that hinges on the individual performance of every single moving part. A small error by one mechanic, strategist, or pit crew member can be massively detrimental to hundreds. For this reason, it was a pleasant surprise to see a portrayal of F1 that made a real effort to go behind the scenes: by emphasizing race strategy, car development and upgrades, and practice simulations, the film did a fantastic job of representing the off-track efforts that contribute to on-track success (or failure). Similarly, it was refreshing to see the film acknowledge the staggering role played by media pressure: social media and press coverage can be brutal, taking any moment and distorting it into an overblown narrative at the expense of drivers’ mental health and well-being. Although some, such as Joshua Pearce in the film, might project confident personas to deal with this external pressure, the film wisely nods to the fact that drivers are people, too, and can be acutely impacted by the intense public spotlight upon them at all times.
Even with this impressive level of detail and authenticity, F1 The Movie still takes some quintessential Hollywood detours that inflate the sport’s realities. Most noticeably, the film’s shocking crash scene in Monza, although visually dramatic, grossly overlooked just how far the sport has come in terms of safety. In recent years, the development of technologies such as the “halo” (the three-pronged curved bar above the cockpit), as well as significant efforts by the FIA, F1’s governing body, to tighten safety regulations during races has resulted in a noticeable decrease in driver injuries and incidents. While F1 is undeniably still an extremely high-stakes sport, a crash to such an extent as is shown in the film feels implausible. Similarly, the billionaire-villain forgery subplot and the insertion of romance into team dynamics came across as forced, hackneyed, and unnecessary. F1 is dramatic enough without the artificial placement of Hollywood tropes—just look at Roman Grosjean’s crash in 2020 and the controversy surrounding the FIA’s championship-defining decisions in 2021.
Regarding overdramatizations, Sonny’s sudden re-introduction to F1 makes for a compelling underdog story and clash of generations with his teammate—but in reality, nobody gets a seat in real-world F1 without arduously clawing their way up through Formula 2, Formula 3, and other motorsport leagues. With only twenty (or twenty-two) available seats on the grid, only the absolute best are afforded the opportunity—and there is a constant pool of hopeful talents willing to do whatever it takes to get there. Sonny’s nonchalant attitude towards F1 would not fare well in the real world, and it is questionable that he would dip into the league for only nine races just to promptly move on to the next venture. Likewise, APXGP’s fairytale climb from dead last to first place in less than ten races is nearly unfeasible. To break into the upper ranks as a “midfield” or “backfield” team is not a common sight—those who occupy the top spots are often miles ahead of the rest.
One last element we found lacking was a sense of the broader F1 community beyond team dynamics alone. As fans, one of our favourite aspects of the sport is watching the drivers maintain genuine friendships off-track—often training, traveling, and relaxing together no matter their racing rivalries. The film’s insular focus on Sonny Hayes and Joshua Pearce generates an atmosphere of isolation in the paddock, an “us-versus-them” mentality that every team and driver is out for themselves. In reality, F1 is far more of a tightly woven network of mutual understanding, respect, and camaraderie, and we feel that the film missed an opportunity to show and explore the complexities of this dynamic.
As a whole, watching F1: The Movie as both longtime fans and as participants in the industry gave us a unique vantage point that both enhanced and inhibited our viewing experience. Although it allowed us to enjoy the spotlight given to our favourite sport and the hard-working people who make it happen, our knowledge also prevented us from fully immersing ourselves into the film’s dramatic interpretations. Despite its shortcomings, the film was enjoyable with a slight suspension of disbelief. It might not show F1 exactly as it is, but it doesn’t really need to do that—after all, it is a work of fiction and not a documentary. Most importantly, we believe that it understands and captures what makes people fall in love with F1: the constant drive for technological and athletic improvement, the intricate balance of talent and strategy, and the incredible human stories of those behind the wheel.
Just as Drive to Survive did, we suspect that the film will introduce a considerable proportion of new audiences to the sport—and that’s definitely a win in our books. Even more than just fast cars and championship points, F1 is incredible because of its ability to connect fans from across the world no matter their cultural differences. By taking the sport to a new level of global recognition, we hope that the film will only add to that sense of community.