Reel Review: F1 Turns Racing Novices Into Fans, Fast
To be completely honest, I know nothing about F1 racing. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve seen its huge TikTok community and find the drivers super charming; who doesn’t love some Charles Leclerc? However, my racing intelligence doesn’t extend beyond Cars or Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. Regardless, Brad Pitt and Javier Bardem’s F1 stole my heart.
The story follows Sonny Hayes (Pitt) as he returns to the F1 racetrack decades after walking away—well, barely walking away. He was a rising star on the F1 scene in the 1990s, but a wrong move nearly cost him his life, forcing him to leave F1 racing. When his old racing partner Ruben (Bardem) offers him the chance to race for his struggling team, Hayes can’t help but put his racing helmet back on. However, it’s not smooth racing from there. Hayes clashes with rookie driver, Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), and they must learn how to work together as a team.
The film fully immerses itself in the real world of Formula One racing by incorporating real F1 drivers into several scenes, which works exceptionally well for the film. Audiences feel like Sonny and Joshua are truly racing with the fan favorites. At the core of the film, Sonny and Joshua grapple with the tension between personal greatness and supporting their team. I love how the film explores ego, self-worth, and striving for something greater than oneself.
Pitt does a fantastic job playing a cocky, old soul racer who seems like he has nothing to lose. Still, as the film progresses, audiences are introduced to the honest Sonny, who protects his heart everywhere except at the racetrack. Initially, he appears to be truly reckless on the track, which leaves you on the edge of your seat. However, you realize he’s an expert strategist who just wants to bring his team to the top of the leaderboard.
Joshua is the textbook ambitious newbie who sometimes lets his ego get in the way of success. Idris does a fantastic job of balancing Joshua’s struggle with being what his agent thinks he needs to be versus his personal goal of doing what he truly loves—racing. The progression of his relationship with Sonny constantly felt like one step forward, but three steps back, which at times made you want to throw the characters in a room together and force them to work out their differences. His and Sonny’s relationship was reminiscent of Maverick’s (Tom Cruise) strained relationship with Bradley Bradshaw (Miles Teller) in Top Gun: Maverick, which makes perfect sense since the films are made by the same team, Joseph Kosinski and Jerry Bruckheimer.
My one critique is that the film might be hard to follow if you’re not familiar with racing terms. But that’s nothing a quick ask to your buddy next to you in the theater won’t fix! Even if some of the terminology is confusing, watching Sonny and Pearce work together and bring a struggling team together is a heartwarming story that will leave audiences feeling like they’re watching a real-life race.
At its heart, F1 is an emotional joyride that teaches you to champion the underdog. It reminds us that grit, compassion, and teamwork can truly defy the odds, and that the most unforgettable victories often come from those who lift others up, not just themselves.
F1 is now in theaters worldwide.
