Opinion

What you will hate about 'F1: The Movie'

CONTAINS SPOILERS: Brad Pitt’s summer blockbuster is released at the end of the month with the aim of bringing fresh eyes onto Formula 1 – but what could turn long-term fans of the series against the film?

As someone who has watched Formula 1 since I was young, I went into a screening of F1: The Movie being told time and again that the film was not for me.

It has been made, at great expense, to showcase the championship to a potential new audience, specifically in the United States, with the hope of bringing in a swathe of fans in much the same way the Netflix phenomenon Drive to Survive has done in recent years.

Brad Pitt is the star casting as race-for-cash former F1 driver Sonny Hayes and the other big names attached to the production – Jerry Bruckheimer, Hans Zimmer and F1’s own Lewis Hamilton to name but three – means the summer blockbuster is likely to be a huge success.

But there will be moments in the theatre when established fans could easily find themselves watching through their fingers, as here, Autosport lays out what may cause such a reaction.

Combat sport

Despite being a broken down, over the hill racer, Hayes is given the chance of redemption when he lands a drive for an ailing F1 team – APX GP – which will lose its place on the grid if results do not dramatically improve.

Hayes has his own unique approach to bring about a change in fortunes, some of which are in the actual design of the “shitbox” car he inherits (more on that later). He demands a car built for “combat”, maybe something left over from Top Gun: Maverick given the films share the same director in Joseph Kosinski.

F1 Movie scene

Photo by: Apple

It turns out that his call for such a car is a necessity given the cavalier approach to grand prix racing – which includes purposefully running rivals off the road, crashing his own car and delaying leaving the pits to impede other drivers – and he is the supposed hero of the movie!

It takes away from the realism of the racing scenes, which are amazingly shot with some groundbreaking technology. And while the decisions are taken with Hollywood in mind, F1 fans may have to stifle the odd snigger.

Tech issues

For some F1 fans, the series is defined by its technological brilliance, advancing the motor industry and truly pushing the boundaries of design.

That corner of the fandom is equally likely to be left a little flat by the way the film approaches the technology aspect of F1.

Hayes arrives on the scene having not worked in the series for three decades and racing any other cars he can get his hands on to earn peanuts. But he is instantly plugged in to what the APX GP backmarker is lacking, making daring requests of the team’s technical director (and his love interest).

She obviously obliges - in more ways than one - and, hey presto, APX GP suddenly has a car that can get it fighting at the front of the grid. But is all as it seems with the new upgrades…?

Questionable cameos

Brad Pitt and Damson Idris with Oscar Piastri, McLaren F1 Team, whilst filming on the grid for the F1 movie

Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images

Anyone hoping for meaningful engagement between their favourite F1 driver and the world of Hayes are set to be bitterly disappointed, with the majority of appearances from real-life racers restricted to the role of enhanced extras.

Hamilton was involved in creating the film but is only seen in passing, while some drivers were asked to appear in podium scenes but with very limited reactions. Having such access to the world of F1, it would have been nice for Hayes and his upstart APX GP team-mate Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris) to interact with their movie rivals.

Instead, the most notable cameos come from Stefano Domenicali, Toto Wolff, Will Buxton and Hamilton’s dog Roscoe – who even lands a credit for his appearance.