F1 Film Review Starring Brad Pitt: A Spectacular Sports Action Film That Could Change Your Perception of Formula 1

Ready to dive into a world of high speeds and sharp turns? F1 starring Brad Pitt is already revving at the starting line like a supercharged racing machine. But has this racing drama, created with the participation of Formula 1 itself and Lewis Hamilton, managed to set a new standard for sports cinema and show the inner workings of the "royal races" like no one has done before? Or is this just another loud blockbuster — technically perfect but hollow inside?

For the past decade, Formula 1 has been losing mainstream audience interest, especially among young people. This isn't so much about track attendance as it is about digital content — the rights to which sell poorly. Why spend three full hours on a race when you can see all the highlights in a minute-long short? Meanwhile, the FIA stubbornly refuses to acknowledge the main issue — the races have become boring. Regulations and environmental agenda have "strangled" the spectacle of the 90s and early 2000s, but instead of reconsidering their approach, they've shifted focus to social media, driver promotion, brand collaborations, and expanding into new markets.

And also to media projects — like the Netflix series Drive to Survive and the F1 film with Brad Pitt. The latter has become part of a global campaign to "revitalize" the brand. It was created in collaboration with the FIA, all ten teams, and race promoters. Thanks to this, the film crew gained unprecedented access to tracks and the paddock. Filming took place during actual 2023 and 2024 Grand Prix races — Silverstone (UK), Spa (Belgium), Zandvoort (Netherlands), Suzuka (Japan), Monza (Italy), and even nighttime Las Vegas (USA). Brad Pitt himself drove a modified Formula 2 car with F1 aerodynamics, prepared with Mercedes-AMG and Carlin Motorsport participation.

But F1 isn't Rush about Lauda and Hunt, nor the dramatic Ford v Ferrari. The new F1 is about the here and now, and its task isn't so much to tell a story as to become a showcase for motorsport. The film promotes Formula 1 as mass entertainment, targeting the widest possible audience: there's a woman in the role of chief engineer, Black drivers and mechanics, and a family with grandchildren in the background of a car in the garage.

For realism, they created the APXGP team with a full-fledged pit box and personnel, which were actually placed alongside real teams. Visually, everything looks polished: pristine white gear, branded uniforms — fans of clean aesthetics will appreciate it. You can see that serious money and effort were invested in the project to "sell" motorsport to a new generation.

After the screening, three thoughts kept spinning in my head:

The creators achieved the main goal — viewers wanted to become part of this race. And if even one viewer out of a thousand gets involved in motorsport, the FIA will be satisfied.

If only all of Formula 1 were like it is in this film! The main strength of F1 is the races themselves. They're filmed in such a way that you literally feel the speed, acceleration, braking, every turn and every bump. Car parts break apart and scatter across the track. When a wheel goes beyond the curb, the car kicks up a real cloud of dust or throws gravel everywhere.

In each race, the creators skillfully work on complete viewer immersion — the track, car behavior, driver actions, hand movements, reactions, gear shifts — all of this comes together in a captivating mosaic. There are many such sequences in the film, and you watch each one with bated breath.

Particularly impressive is the first race, where the creators quickly but authentically show the entire race start process — from preparation to tire warm-up and the start itself. And the finale in Saudi Arabia — a race at the Jeddah circuit, fireworks, crowds of fans, teams on track — looks like a real event. You want to be there and applaud along with the grandstands.

The cinematography is top-class. You can see that the filming was handled by professionals who know how to visualize speed. Leaving the cinema, you catch yourself thinking: "How did they film this?" Static cameras, first-person view, cockpit shots, views from different sides of the car during motion, drone footage — but everything is balanced. No unnecessary shaking, no editing hysteria in the style of "1000 cuts per minute." Editing this amount of footage requires precise synchronization, so this year's Oscar for editing goes to F1's editor — they're the best.

For example, there's a scene where one of the drivers crashes off the track, wrecks the car, and it later catches fire. Brad Pitt — sorry, Sonny Hayes — rushes to save the poor guy. The entire process is filmed from multiple angles: from above, from the side, from the cockpit, and even from inside when Pitt gets out — at that moment you can clearly see how little space there is in the car. All of this is presented without fuss, with maximum visual comfort. The picture is dense but not overloaded with details — the film creates a sense of presence, the viewer literally sits in the car.

In some scenes, apparently, Pitt was actually experiencing G-forces — you can see from his face how he's living through the moment, not just acting. The camera captures his expressions in the tight cockpit, emphasizing what pilots really face.

It's important to understand: this film was created for the big screen. All the angles, especially from the cockpit, convey exactly the viewing angle that a real driver sees. In the theater — you're inside the car. But if you watch at home or, especially, on a phone — you lose the scale, the sense of speed, and the meaning of all the cinematography. The film demands a big screen — and fully justifies it.

The almost complete absence of green screen and CGI isn't a whim of studio bosses, but a conscious choice. Behind the wheel of the project is Joseph Kosinski, known for "Top Gun: Maverick," with Jerry Bruckheimer producing alongside Brad Pitt himself and Lewis Hamilton. This is a combination of experienced cinema and real motorsport. And the result is impressive. The picture isn't "realistic" — it's simply real.

The sound design in F1 doesn't lag behind the visuals — every scene is synchronized both in sound and visually. When the camera is outside the car — we hear driver and engineer communications, like in a real paddock. When the camera moves inside — gear clicks, brake work, and tire squealing take center stage. All of this creates a sense of mechanical reality where every driver movement makes itself known.

A special plus is the commentator's work. Yes, when the characters have nothing to say, an energetic voice-over steps in, joking, explaining, and helping the viewer understand what's happening. Without it, the perception of "these crazy races" would be completely different. The only nuance — the engine sound seems smoothed out so it doesn't interfere with its backfires and maximum performance work. The iconic "V10 sound" would fit here.

The musical score deserves separate praise. Hans Zimmer worked on the soundtrack, and once again proved he knows how not just to accompany the frame, but to set the rhythm of what's happening. The compositions don't try to overshadow the scene, but amplify each one, adding the right emotion — tension, triumph, restrained sadness, or anticipation of the start. This isn't just music for a film — it's collaborative work between sound and image, where no element falls out of the overall pulse.

The plot here isn't the main thing, but it's not empty either. At the center is Sonny Hayes, a former Formula 1 driver from the 1990s. After a serious accident, he left the sport, fell into and overcame gambling addiction, worked as a taxi driver in New York, went through three divorces, but returned to racing in other disciplines. After 20 years of life, Hayes came to be obsessed only with speed, but indifferent to money and fame. It's precisely this obsession and charisma that he brings to the film.

His old friend Ruben (Javier Bardem), now owner of the fictional Apex Grand Prix (APXGP) team, asks Sonny to save the team: in three years — not a single podium, the board of directors is ready to sell everything, and Ruben himself is about to be sent into retirement. Nine races remain. Sonny must tame the capricious car, restore hope to the team, and mentor Joshua "Noah" Pearce (Damson Idris) — a promising but self-absorbed driver considering fleeing to a more successful team.

In general, the narrative foundation follows established sports drama tropes: aging mentor, talented but imperfect protégé, underdog team fighting for survival, path to redemption and teamwork. However, the screenwriters managed to excellently disguise the stereotypical approach with a whole range of solutions — from constant troubles and problems to good dialogue and excellent acting. The story is interesting to watch almost from the first minutes.

Important: the film is dominated not by external confrontation, but by the characters' internal conflicts. When you think "now they'll really clash," another breakdown, failure, crash, or FIA regulation happens. This is a very convenient and, most importantly, safe approach, not without its shortcomings. The main problem is insufficient development of the conflict between Hayes and Pearce. Instead of open confrontation — detours: internet, rumors, third-party opinions. The restaurant scene where they speak directly looks convoluted and overly restrained — in reality everything would be faster, angrier, and brighter.

Also unconvincing is chief engineer Kate McKenna's reaction to Sonny's appearance: too quickly she transforms from skeptic to admirer. The romantic subplot looks forced, if not unnecessary — the character simply seeks an excuse to get closer. But Javier Bardem in the role of Ruben maintains the level: unlike his character from Dune: Part Two with his "Muad'Dib leads us" regardless of circumstances, here he adequately reacts to what's happening — whether triumph, failure, or uncertainty. All emotions are readable on his face, all the guns planted by the screenwriters should fire.

The plot, despite its intensity, remains consistent. Characters grow by overcoming external difficulties. Hayes "gets back into the groove" over several races and regains confidence — both in himself and his companions. Pearce begins to understand that fans and social media are tinsel, and the essence is the race. After each race — a pause for dialogue, exposition, or emotional development. The rhythm is maintained, transitions are organic, nothing confuses. You can feel different directors' work on different scenes — and this only benefited the film.

You can't say that F1 is presented without real losses, breakdowns, difficult decisions — but the creators were afraid of spoiling the viewer's mood. The plot carefully avoids sharp corners and real drama. Yes, failures happen along the way — breakdowns, conflicts, mistakes. Hayes repeatedly destroys cars, always plays by his own rules, breaks established boundaries — but he's unconditionally forgiven because he "delivers." This is a privilege denied to everyone else. Same with the entire APXGP team — there's a sense that only they're allowed dirty tricks and drives on the edge of fouls, while real teams are just extras.

Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mercedes appear in frame, but no more than background — they have no faces, no characters, no motivations. They're just logos in the frame to create an illusion of scale. No one portrays them poorly, but they don't play a role either — extras in a film where all attention is focused on the white uniforms of the fictional team. But in the end, nobody loses — because that's how movie magic works. The viewer is bombarded with positive dopamine, and they believe, if they're not too picky.

***

F1 is the result of professionals' work in the full sense of the word. The film combines the thrills of high-speed sport with a story about character, mentorship, rivalry, and perseverance. This is tense, exciting, and at certain moments — truly emotional entertainment. The creators cleverly, almost imperceptibly, campaign to the viewer: if not to get in the cockpit, then at least start following the races.

The integration of filming into real Formula 1 events is the cornerstone of the film's authenticity. Thanks to this, they managed to show the racing world with a degree of authenticity and involvement that simply didn't exist before. We got not just a feature film about fictional races, but a rare example of a project where cinema and sport merge seamlessly. Against the backdrop of other releases this year, the film looks confident — on the same level as perhaps Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning.