The worlds of Formula One and Hollywood finally meet in "F1 - The Movie," the new film directed by Joseph Kosinski and starring Brad Pitt.
An ambitious project that brings the spectacular nature of real racing to the big screen, combining technology, adrenaline and storytelling. Let’s find out together the plot, trivia, stellar cast and paddock reactions in what many are already calling the most authentic motorsport film ever made.
“F1 – The Movie”: watch the trailer
The plot of F1 the Movie: Sonny Hayes' return to the track.
In the film, Brad Pitt plays Sonny Hayes, a former Formula 1 driver who retired after a terrible accident in the 1990s. When friend and now stable owner Ruben Cervantes (played by Javier Bardem) calls him back to help his struggling team-the APXGP-Sonny decides to return to the track.
Next to him is Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), a young talent destined to become the Circus’s new star. Between rivalry, respect, and a desire for redemption, a deep bond is born that will lead both to test themselves in and out of the pits.
The film alternates moments of high tension in the race with more intimate and reflective scenes, recounting the passion, sacrifices and loneliness of those who live for speed. It is a tale of redemption and determination, steeped in the world of modern F1 and enhanced by spectacular mise-en-scene.
Hollywood meets Formula 1 - The Cast and creative team of the film
Director Joseph Kosinski–former author of Top Gun: Maverick–leads a first-rate cast: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Javier Bardem and Kerry Condon. The screenplay bears the signature of Ehren Kruger, while production is in the hands of Jerry Bruckheimer and a name that needs no introduction in Formula 1: Lewis Hamilton.
The six-time world champion closely followed every stage of the film, ensuring technical authenticity and sporting realism. Cinematography features Claudio Miranda, Oscar winner for Life of Pi, and the soundtrack is composed by the legendary Hans Zimmer, who adds tension and pathos to each overtake.
Behind the scenes of the new F1 movie: filming at real Formula 1 circuits
One of the most striking aspects of F1 – The Movie is the choice to film during actual Formula 1 weekends. The fictitious APXGP team was placed in the paddock as if it were a real stable, with customized pits and specially created single-seaters.
Cameras followed the races at Silverstone, Spa, Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi, capturing authentic sequences with the cooperation of the real teams.
Filming took place between 2023 and 2024, taking advantage of breaks between official sessions. In some cases, Brad Pitt and Damson Idris actually drove modified single-seaters, with real speeds and G-forces. The on-track scenes were enhanced by techniques of state-of-the-art VFX, supervised by Ryan Tudhope (the same guy from Top Gun: Maverick), who combined real and digital cars with an extraordinarily realistic result.
According to insiders, Kosinski and Hamilton wanted to create “the most authentic racing film ever made.” And in fact, looking at it, it feels like you’re really inside the cockpit: the vibrations, the limited view, the sound of the tires–everything contributes to an immersive and cinematic experience at the same time.
“F1 – The Movie”: behind the scenes.
International reviews: adrenaline and spectacle - what the biggest publications think of the new F1 movie
Critics have greeted F1 – The Movie with enthusiasm. At Rotten Tomatoes the average score is close to 80 percent, with many reviewers praising its technical realism and visual power. The track sequences are described as “amazing” due to the combination of real footage and dynamic direction.
Some compare the experience to flying Top Gun: Maverick, but on four wheels. A few critical voices point out some predictability in the plot, but everyone agrees on one thing: rarely has a sports film managed to capture the pace, tension, and beauty of modern Formula 1 so well.
Hans Zimmer, with his intense and pulsating score, adds the final dose of adrenaline, accompanying the viewer in a crescendo of emotions until the grand finale in Abu Dhabi.
The reactions of real pilots
Formula 1 welcomed the film with curiosity and, in the end, respect. During the premiere in Monte Carlo, several drivers – including Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris, Fernando Alonso and George Russell – expressed positive reviews.
Leclerc praised the quality of the on-board footage, calling it “more realistic than live TV broadcasts.” Norris spoke of the “film being able to inspire a new generation of fans,” while Alonso pointed out that the film manages to capture “the essence of the competition, albeit in a more spectacular than realistic way.”
Many appreciated the contribution of Hamilton, who as producer ensured that every technical detail was true to reality-from the mechanics’ movements to pit strategies to the drivers’ little pre-race rituals.
“F1 – The Movie”: the reactions of real drivers.
Real fact quotes: when fiction meets Formula One history
Another fascinating aspect of F1 – The Movie is the way it weaves real episodes from Formula 1 history into its plot. The events of Sonny Hayes and Joshua Pearce, while fictional, are clearly inspired by iconic – and sometimes dramatic – moments in real F1.
Sonny’s 1993 crash, marking the end of his career, is a clear reference to Martin Donnelly ‘s terrible crash during practice for the 1990 Spanish Grand Prix. As with Brad Pitt’s character, that impact ended the career of the Irish driver, who is also thanked in the film’s closing credits.
Other passages evoke controversial episodes, such as the 2008 Singapore “crashgate,” when Nelson Piquet Jr. was asked to cause a crash to favor teammate Fernando Alonso. In the film, Sonny uses similar tactics to allow young Joshua to advance in the race-a clear homage (and warning) to recent F1 history.
Joshua ‘s accident in 2023 also mixes real-life inspirations: the flight of Alex Peroni in Monza 2019 and the terrible fire involving Romain Grosjean in Bahrain in 2020. Both remembered as moments when technology and human courage saved lives.
Finally, the final duel in Abu Dhabi, with the strategic importance of fresh tires in the final laps, directly quotes the famous and much-discussed Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021, in which Max Verstappen overtook Lewis Hamilton precisely because of fresher tires.
