I’ve been really struggling to find the best way to summarise my thoughts about F1: The Movie.
As someone who has watched the sport for over 20 years and will rarely miss a race, to say I was disappointed with the film is an understatement. That’s not to say there isn’t plenty to like about this film, and I’ll be highlighting every one of those things throughout this review. It is undeniable that while several hundred million dollars have been spent making this film into an action-packed summer blockbuster, it left me feeling somewhat underwhelmed and juxtaposed with the level of excitement I felt walking into the screening.
Unlike Gordon Ramsay begrudgingly tasting a meal served to him courtesy of a hapless wannabe chef and subsequently destroying their culinary abilities, I take no pleasure in writing this review. My enjoyment of the sport of F1 will be unaffected by this film; however, if I can’t remain impartial when reviewing something, then there really isn’t any point in me doing so.
Righting the wrongs of Top Gun: Maverick
I popped down to my local cinema, still reeling in regret at having missed the chance to see Top Gun: Maverick on the big screen in 2022. This new Joseph Kosinski-directed summer action blockbuster was not one I was going to miss this time around. I was blown away by the action sequences in that film on my 32-inch TV, so for that to be translated into the world of Formula 1 was the cherry on the cake. What could go wrong? Unfortunately, it turns out, quite a bit.
So, where to begin with F1: The Movie? Let’s start with the title, which uses the official F1 logo and indicates the level of involvement, or some may say, control, that the sport had over the making of this film. Therefore, as expected, F1 does a great job of patting itself on the back and talking about why it is now the pinnacle of motorsport. Many may consider this to be pure hyperbole; however, maybe this viewpoint is justified. In America, for instance, F1 has gone from being a poorer cousin to the likes of NASCAR and IndyCar, to having three races per season on the calendar, including the level of influence to park itself in the centre of Las Vegas once a year.
Much of the stratospheric rise in popularity of F1 can be attributed to the Netflix documentary series Drive to Survive, which has proven to be a smash hit in creating plot lines, characters and drawing more eyes to the sport than ever before. Throw in the savvy use of social media, which has spawned armies of F1 fans all equally as passionate about their chosen favourite teams and chosen favourite drivers, who are idolised in a similar manner to K-Pop stars.
These drivers are characters in F1: The Movie, with the film choosing to integrate an original story with original characters within the already established world of Formula 1. This has been done before, I’m sure, but I can’t pretend it wasn’t incredibly jarring to see Brad Pitt stand alongside Max Verstappen in a pre-race lineup and it did remove me somewhat from the fictional world I was witnessing.
I suppose it is a continuation of the recent Barbiefication of modern movies, which has seen major companies create films based on their fictional world, all while having the majority of creative control. In some cases, like Barbie, this has worked well; in others – like Minecraft, it hasn’t. F1 differs by treading the line between reality and fantasy.
So, I suppose they couldn’t have chosen any other title. Judging by the majority of action I saw on screen, I think the titles, ‘Tyre Strategy: The Movie’, or perhaps even, ‘How to Make Use of the Safety Car When You Start Each Race at the Back of the Grid: The Movie’, would be more apt.
The Plot
I’ll go over a brief summary of the plot for those who haven’t seen it, which should give things a little more perspective.
Brad Pitt plays Sonny Hayes, a 50/60-something-year-old nomad living in a motorhome and travelling from racetrack to racetrack as a driver for hire. After bursting onto the F1 scene some thirty years ago, a near-fatal crash with Lotus tore his world apart, causing him to lose his seat in the sport and spend the subsequent decades in the metaphorical wilderness, battling a gambling addiction and living through three failed marriages.
We meet Hayes as he steps into a 911 GT3 R for his stint at the 24 Hours of Daytona with Chip Hart Racing, where he proceeds to immediately overtake the entire grid on his first lap as if he’s just consumed a golden mushroom on Mario Kart. After contributing to his team’s victory, Hayes rejects an offer from the team owner to stay on, instead choosing to go back to his nomadic ways. Later that day, at a local laundrette in the middle of nowhere, Hayes is approached by Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem), a former teammate and the owner of APXGP, a struggling F1 team desperately in need of a race win before the end of the season, or face the prospect of being sold.
Following a minute or so of deliberation, Hayes flies to the UK and becomes the new teammate of rookie Joshua Pearce, played brilliantly by Damson Idris, who himself needs to impress in the nine remaining races of the year or face the prospect of losing his seat in the sport for the following season. As expected, the two take an immediate dislike towards one another, with Pearce stating at Hayes’ unveiling press conference about it being “wonderful that Apex is giving second chances to the elderly”.
Their fortunes in the remaining nine races of the season are overseen by technical director Kate McKenna (Kerry Condon), who is tasked with improving a car that is the worst performing on the grid and planning a strategy that can push Apex up the grid and into the points places. The most commendable piece of casting has to be the role of APXGP team principal Kaspar Smolinski, who may be the most F1 team principal-looking actor I’ve ever seen.