F1 The Movie review: ‘As a Formula 1 superfan there’s one scene in Brad Pitt’s new F1 movie that would never happen’

Warning: This article contains spoilers for F1: The Movie.

For the majority of my professional life, the roar of Formula 1 engines have been the soundtrack to my career.

I’m not just a spectator – I know each pole position, research every rivalry and witness every spin-out.

So when I was lucky enough to be invited to the premiere of F1: The Movie, I couldn’t wait to see if it would live up to the standards of the best sport in the world.

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The story follows our main man, Sonny Hayes (Pitt), a washed-up motorsport star whose illustrious career was derailed after a devastating crash in his early years.  

Decades later, struggling team owner and longtime-friend Ruben Cerventes (Javier Bardem) convinces Sonny to return to the grid, filling the empty seat at APXGP and racing alongside rookie Joshua Pearce (played by Damson Idris). 

Now, we all know this isn’t happening in the real world. Formula 1 only has 20 seats (22 in 2026 with the addition of Cadillac) on the grid and as much as we love the silly season, there is never too much shuffling around. 

That said, the opening sequence was pure gold.

The film kicks off with Sonny jumping in for the night time stint in the prestigious 24 Hours of Daytona race and absolutely letting it rip. 

I’m a sucker for the World Endurance Championship, and I think it encapsulates motorsport at its finest – fast, gritty and a little bit metal.

So it was a huge tick for me that the movie highlighted other categories of motorsport around the globe, not just Formula 1. 

But was the driving like in F1: The Movie?

Ahh, the question on everyone’s lips.

I have to say, the Formula 1 driving sequences were genuinely impressive. 

The Formula 1 POV driver onboards were spot on, putting the audience right in the cockpit and tracking the APXGP cars right through each real-life circuit. 

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There was a clear, definite difference between APXGP’s modified F2 cars made for the film and actual F1 machinery, but hats off to Carlin Motorsport and Mercedes AMG. They built and created an amazing ‘dupe’ of their regular season cars that meant, for the casual fan, the difference was unnoticeable. 

I’ll also praise the fact there are plenty of familiar faces throughout the movie. 

Toto Wolff, CEO of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, has a speaking role to poach high-performing rookies on the grid, Max Verstappen pops up regularly and randomly, Pierre Gasly in his Alpine A524 seems to be glued to the APXGP cars in every race. 

Let’s talk about the plot…

The plot was a beefed-up version of Drive to Survive, in my opinion. 

I think a very overlooked notion in preparation for this movie is that Formula 1 fans have access to everything in the paddock nowadays. 

F1 is not shrouded in mystery anymore. With YouTube, TikTok and behind-the-scenes access at every race, we already know what’s in the paddock. 

The movie didn’t really break any barriers in showing anything new in the sport and I think it struggled to deliver. 

Director Joseph Kosinski struck gold with his highly successful movie Top Gun: Maverick, because there is very little information surrounding fighter pilots, so the movie can pull the audience into an off-limits world.

Formula 1 doesn’t have that luxury; the sport is more accessible than ever and the over-the-top plot felt disconnected from reality. 

One of the most unrealistic parts? The APXGP drivers crash in almost every one of the nine races they compete in. 

That wouldn’t make them fan favourites like the movie portrayed. It would make them a running joke. 

On a lighter note, the product placement in the movie was truly F1-level. Tick for them. 

There is a subplot where Sonny decides he is going to try to manipulate race outcomes to get better results for APXGP. 

That’s not happening. In the real world, that would land him a massive fine and a ban from the sport (see CrashGate 2008). 

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To the movie’s credit, the diversity in its casting was a big win. 

Joshua Pearce is played by Damson Idris, a British-Nigerian actor alongside his manager Cash, played also by British-Nigerian Samson Kayo. The number one mechanic on Sonny’s car was played by Abdul Salis and showcases what the sport is making slow movements in becoming. 

Cash, Pearce’s media and optics-obsessed manager took on a DJ-Khaled-meets-F1 persona who ensured the new rookie on the grid hits all the right media beats. 

This felt very true of the new Formula 1 landscape. 

Post-Drive to Survive, particular drivers have transcended the barriers of the sport and become global celebrities. 

Where drivers could walk down the streets in LA without a single person stopping them for a photo or autograph, most would never get away with this anymore. 

Now, my one major gripe with the movie: the portrayal of females in motorsport. 

I would be remiss not to talk about this as a huge advocate myself for getting more young women into STEM and onto the racing track with my role with FIA Girls on Track. So I’m aware I come into this angle with a bias. 

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But as we meet Kate, APXGP’s race engineer and technical director, she becomes less of a team member and more of a ‘leading lady’ who breaks her no-dating team rule for Sonny.   

…and our only female pit crew member flubs the opening pit stop of the film. It felt lazy and lacklustre, not a great look. 

The verdict?

All this said, I think the movie deserves its praise for the action shots and driving sequences.

It was authentic and thrilling, working really hard to keep the magic of F1.  

Everything else seemed to take a bad pedal, though.

The plot was overcooked with dramatics and felt more like a soap opera on wheels than a love letter to Formula 1. 

F1 The Movie speeds into cinemas 26 June.

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