In the world of racing, Formula One is more than just a sport; it’s a lifestyle, a culture, and a spectacle. But in Joseph Kosinski’s F1, the latest summer blockbuster, the adrenaline of the sport gets overshadowed by the glossy sheen of a predictable underdog story. Despite featuring Brad Pitt as a former Formula One star who’s making his comeback, the film doesn’t hit the high speeds it hopes for. Instead, it coasts through the plot with all the finesse of a Sunday drive.
The story centers on Sonny Hayes (played by Brad Pitt), a seasoned ex-Formula One driver who once dominated the racing world. In a series of de-aged flashbacks, we see Sonny as the golden boy of F1, full of promise and ambition. But a catastrophic crash 30 years ago derailed his career and shattered his life. Since then, he’s struggled with personal failures, including disastrous marriages, regrettable tattoos, and the kind of life choices that don’t make for good dinner party conversation. Now, Sonny’s scraping by, driving a cab, gambling, and attending second-rate races in his rundown camper van.
But fate has a funny way of making comebacks happen. Enter Ruben (Javier Bardem), an old buddy of Sonny’s, who just happens to be in charge of a struggling Formula One team. Ruben invites Sonny to return to the sport, offering him a chance to drive once more for his team that’s stuck in a losing streak. Sounds like the perfect setup for a dramatic comeback, right? Think again. Sonny may have suffered a monumental crash and fallen from grace, but by the time the film begins, he’s a completely healed man, both mentally and physically. His flaws have been wiped clean, his demons are gone, and his past failures seem like distant memories. From the very first scene, Sonny is portrayed as a supremely confident, almost superhero-like figure—relaxed, charming, and effortlessly skilled.
Sonny breezes into Silverstone, looking like he just walked off the set of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, complete with double denim and aviator shades. He doesn’t just get back into the racing world; he dominates it. From designing cars to mentoring younger drivers, to turning the team around, Sonny is everything Formula One fans (and audiences) could dream of. He’s a tactical genius, an inspiring leader, and a guy who cracks jokes during team meetings—basically the perfect, unflappable hero. But here’s the catch: Sonny has no real character arc. He starts off as a great guy and remains a great guy. His journey doesn’t involve overcoming personal demons or learning anything new. Instead, it’s just a smooth ride to victory, leaving little room for emotional engagement.
And that’s where F1 misses the mark. It’s not that the film is poorly made or that Brad Pitt doesn’t give a likable performance—he does. It’s just that the film is more concerned with presenting Sonny as a flawless hero than with developing him into a fully fleshed-out character. There’s no real tension, no personal growth. Sonny is already perfect when we meet him, and nothing really challenges that perfection throughout the movie. His flaws have been swept under the rug, and his only real issue is his laid-back arrogance, which is more charming than problematic.
The real issue with F1, though, isn’t Sonny’s invincibility—it’s the film’s portrayal of Formula One itself. From the sleek, glossy cinematography to the ever-present product placement, it quickly becomes apparent that this isn’t just a film about racing; it’s a promotional vehicle for the sport itself. Formula One fans might find joy in seeing their beloved sport on the big screen, but the film doesn’t offer any meaningful criticism or exploration of the world of motorsport. Instead, it serves as a marketing tool, showing off the glamorous side of F1 without delving into the gritty or controversial aspects. The film does have plenty of exciting race sequences, but they feel more like elaborate advertisements than true moments of dramatic tension. The product placement is so in-your-face that you might remember the brands more than the characters.
Kosinski, who proved his directorial chops with Top Gun: Maverick, clearly knows how to shoot action sequences. The races in F1 are fast, loud, and visually stunning, with Hans Zimmer’s synth-heavy score adding a layer of epicness to the proceedings. But even the high-speed thrills can’t distract from the film’s lack of substance. The film jumps from one Grand Prix to the next, ticking off each race like a checklist, but there’s no real emotional weight to any of them. Ruben’s team may fail in the first race, but as expected, they come back stronger, without any real jeopardy or tension. In fact, if you were to predict the plot structure of F1, you’d likely guess it with pinpoint accuracy—except, of course, that your version might have a bit more danger and excitement.
While it’s clear that F1 is designed to be a fun, high-energy popcorn film, it ultimately falls short of engaging audiences on a deeper level. The dialogue, written by Ehren Kruger, is often clunky and filled with clichés. For example, when Joshua’s manager warns him about the dangers of losing, he bluntly states, “You might lose your job. Yeah. Let that sink in.” These kinds of lines are delivered with all the depth of a soap opera script, and unfortunately, they detract from any attempt to build genuine tension. Worse yet, the exposition is laid on thick, with announcers and reporters constantly narrating what’s happening on the track. It’s almost as if the filmmakers didn’t trust the audience to follow the action without a constant verbal reminder of what’s going on. “This is not where you want to be—last place,” one reporter quips, as if we needed to be reminded of such an obvious point.
In many ways, the film feels like it’s trying to be everything to everyone. It wants to be a crowd-pleasing, fast-paced action movie, a love letter to Formula One, and an emotional underdog story all at once. Unfortunately, it doesn’t excel at any of these things. The characters, although charming in their own right, never evolve beyond their basic archetypes. The plot, while functional, never offers any real surprises or stakes. And while the film does have some fun moments, it never manages to connect with the audience on a deeper level.
At its core, F1 is a film about a man who’s been given a second chance, but it never convinces us why that second chance matters. It’s a film that’s more interested in showing off the shiny cars, beautiful locations, and star-studded cast than it is in telling a compelling story. For racing enthusiasts, F1 might offer a fun diversion, but for everyone else, it’s hard to get invested when the stakes are so low. Formula One fans may enjoy the thrills, but even they might wonder if there was more to the sport than the glossy, perfect image presented here.
In the end, F1 is a slick, entertaining film that never quite takes the risks needed to elevate it beyond the typical sports drama. It’s a fun ride, but it’s one that’s easy to get off of once the race is over.
