F1: The Movie – Brad Pitt takes on Formula 1, but is it worth the hype (and your money)?

Apple Original Films and the creators of Top Gun: Maverick are behind F1 The Movie, a Formula 1 film with Brad Pitt in the leading role. A 61-year-old man playing the lead in an F1 film—not as a team boss, but as a driver. This meant the creators had to be creative with the origin story.

Sonny Hayes, the character played by Pitt, is a driver who debuted in Formula 1 in 1993. He was seen as a promising talent, but his aggressive driving style caused a massive crash in Jerez during a battle with Ayrton Senna. Hayes then loses his sponsors and seat with Lotus and disappears from F1 for ten years.

A decade later, Hayes returns to racing, competing in various classes in search of that feeling of “flying,” as he describes the ultimate flow in a race car. Despite victories, that feeling never truly returns.

After winning the 24 Hours of Daytona, Hayes is approached by former teammate Ruben Cervantes, played by Javier Bardem. Bardem owns the Formula 1 team APEXGP, which is in deep financial trouble. Their driver has left for a rival team, leaving an empty seat. With nine races left, it looks like the plug will be pulled on the team unless they win a race.

You can read how the story continues in the section with spoilers below.

F1 doesn’t disappoint visually. Rarely has Formula 1 been captured so beautifully from the cockpit. Original footage from the 2023 F1 season is cleverly used, making it seem at times like Hayes and Pearce are actually part of the real competition.

The soundtrack, produced by the renowned composer Hans Zimmer, adds to the cinematic experience. The preview was shown in the IMAX theater at Pathé Arena, which significantly enhanced the experience.

As several F1 drivers have already mentioned, the film includes detailed technical elements—in the cars, the debriefs, and the wind tunnel scenes. Here, Hamilton’s involvement as a producer is clearly visible, offering a more realistic glimpse behind the scenes.

The core problem with F1 The Movie is also the core of any great film: the story. It’s clear the narrative didn’t receive the same attention as the visuals and sound. A lot of time, money, and effort went into how it looks and sounds, but the story lacks depth and intrigue.

The storyline is far too predictable. The trailers already hinted at the plot, and each scene almost literally telegraphs what will happen next. As a result, you start to lose focus during the film.

The film also features moments where diehard F1 fans will roll their eyes due to a lack of realism. Yes, it’s Hollywood—but some unrealistic scenes completely pull you out of the movie. This isn't limited to the racing sequences either; the narrative often lacks being logical as well.

Because of the overly predictable story, it’s hard to emotionally connect with the characters. Joshua Pearce is the only one with some character development, evolving from selfish to team leader, making him the most likeable character in the film.

Pitt’s character Hayes does bring a smile now and then thanks to the actor's performance, but his character doesn’t evolve. The same goes for his love interest, Kate, who, as the only female F1 technical director, seems mostly included to serve as a romantic subplot. The only other woman in the film, a mechanic, is portrayed as clumsy and insecure.

F1 The Movie delivers an entertaining 2.5 hours of cinema. The visuals and sound make for a unique experience, but those are usually meant to complement a strong story.

Where Kosinski and Bruckheimer excelled with Top Gun: Maverick, they fail to replicate that success with F1. The technical formula for stunning visuals was directly copied over to Formula 1, but the one thing they forgot to bring along was the compelling story.

Every great movie starts with a strong story. It’s what makes you care for the characters, get surprised by plot twists, and feel fully immersed. While Top Gun achieved that, F1 loses you early on because it’s simply too predictable.

Not only is the story predictable, but it also lacks depth—especially for the main characters. Only Joshua Pearce undergoes any visible character development, and even that follows a familiar arc. Hayes is essentially "perfect" from day one, and the other characters change little, if at all.

Several illogical moments pull you out of the narrative. F1 fans will notice them more often, but even casual viewers will be puzzled by scenes that just don't make sense.

A night at the movies can be worth it on its own. F1 offers stunning visuals and impressive sound that deliver a memorable experience. But if you're going for the story, look elsewhere. You've seen this one before—many, many times.

Hayes decides to return to Formula 1, where he’s paired with rookie teammate Joshua Pearce (played by Damson Idris). While Pearce is focused on his personal career, Hayes is trying to save the struggling team, leading to inevitable friction between the two.

APX GP is a backmarker team with a car to match. Yet, Hayes sees opportunities to score points as a team. He sacrifices himself to help his teammate finish inside the Top 10. Hayes does this in a way that Flavio Briatore might appreciate—by intentionally causing crashes to trigger safety cars and virtual safety cars, helping Pearce score in Hungary. While the team sticks to “Plan A,” Hayes opts for “Plan C,” later renamed “Plan Chaos.”

Hayes doesn’t just push boundaries on track, but off it too. Kate (played by Kerry Condon), the first female technical director in F1, is convinced by Hayes to design a car that performs better in dirty air. For F1 fans, this design decision is laughable—but the average moviegoer likely won’t notice the problem.

Sonny and Kate connect. Kate is determined to prove herself in F1, since no one—not even her ex-husband—believes in her. Hayes does, and helps her build a better car. The upgrades work, and race after race, the team starts to improve.

In Monza, the team appears to be heading for its first win. A victory would secure the team's and team boss Ruben’s future, but it doesn’t happen. Pearce ignores Hayes’ advice to wait before overtaking Verstappen and crashes in the final corner.

The crash is completely over the top—Pearce flips multiple times and ends up in the bushes outside the track. It earns a laugh from F1-savvy viewers. Hayes jumps out of his car and runs to rescue Pearce from the burning wreckage.

Where you'd expect praise for Hayes’ heroism, the F1 world and Pearce's family are furious. Hayes is blamed for endangering Pearce’s life with “Plan Chaos.” Staying out on slicks in the rain, Hayes’ call, is seen as the cause of the crash.

This might be the moment that breaks immersion the most. Especially when Pearce’s mother, Bernadette (Sarah Niles), confronts Hayes and threatens him if he ever risks her son’s life again.

Due to burn injuries, Pearce misses a few races. Meanwhile, Hayes shines thanks to the car’s update package, scoring points and even finishing fifth. The team now fully backs Hayes and his "Plan Chaos." Compared to this, Crashgate looks tame—there’s a deliberate crash in nearly every race to manipulate the results.

When Pearce returns to F1, he’s desperate to prove himself—driven by his cousin and manager Cashman (Samson Kayo), but his over-eagerness leads to a crash with Hayes. After the incident, Hayes confronts Pearce, telling him to start racing for the team, not himself.

After a night out in Las Vegas, Pearce seems to change. At the casino, Hayes lets Pearce win at the table, a symbolic gesture. Pearce skips a party thrown by his manager, choosing instead to focus on racing.

Later that night, in a twist nobody asked for, Hayes and Kate sleep together. The next morning, they're woken up by team boss Ruben, who has bad news: the FIA is about to seize the car, suspecting illegal upgrades. Someone leaked internal documents.

Furious, Hayes storms off and crashes while driving through the streets of Las Vegas. In the hospital, Ruben confronts him with medical records revealing that Hayes had broken his back in multiple places in the 1993 Jerez crash. He should never have been allowed to race again. Ruben bans him from driving in the final race in Abu Dhabi—the team’s last chance at survival.

While still in Las Vegas, Hayes is approached by Banning (Tobias Menzies), a board member of APX GP. Banning offers Hayes the team principal role for 2024, on the condition that the team is sold to the highest bidder—Ruben would be out.

As Hayes presses for details, he discovers Banning was the one who leaked the documents to the FIA. The board had been hoping for failure all season to oust Ruben and sell the team. Bringing in Hayes was part of their plan to destabilise the team.

Hayes says he’ll think about it—but naturally shows up in Abu Dhabi anyway. Meanwhile, Pearce has transformed into a true team leader. Once self-absorbed and focused on media and sponsors, he now leads the team in warm-up runs, following Hayes’ earlier example.

At the last minute, Hayes is allowed to race in Abu Dhabi. Ruben objects, but Hayes’ contract gives him no choice. Thanks to the new updates, Hayes charges through the field and helps Pearce earn strong results—again with several deliberate crashes to trigger safety cars.

With three laps to go, Hayes crashes—not on purpose this time. A red flag resets the race. Because of a poor qualifying result, APX GP is the only team with fresh soft tyres left—giving them a shot at victory.

Hayes repeatedly sacrifices himself for Pearce to give him a chance to win. In the final lap, during a duel with Lewis Hamilton, Hayes appears out of contention. But Pearce turns the tables and crashes deliberately with Hamilton, allowing Hayes to take the win.

In the “flow” he always dreamed of, Hayes flies to his first ever F1 victory. The team and Ruben are saved. But there's no celebration for Hayes—his back pain is overwhelming, and he quietly returns to his hospitality suite.

After the Grand Prix, Hayes leaves. But before he goes, Pearce stops him. Hayes says he has accomplished his goal and is moving on, searching for new challenges to conquer. With Pearce now a true team leader, APEXGP is in good hands.

F1 The Movie delivers an entertaining 2.5 hours of cinema. The visuals and sound are immersive, but those should be enhancements—not substitutes—for a strong story.

Where Joseph Kosinski and Jerry Bruckheimer delivered with Top Gun: Maverick, they miss the mark with F1. The stunning visuals and cinematic spectacle have been successfully ported to Formula 1, but the one thing they forgot to bring along was a compelling story.

Every good film starts with a strong narrative. It's what makes viewers connect with characters, be surprised by plot twists, and get fully immersed. Top Gun did that well. F1 does not—it’s just too predictable.

The lack of character depth is also glaring. Only Joshua Pearce goes through any real (and formulaic) development, evolving from selfish to leader. Hayes is “perfect” from the start, and the rest of the cast barely evolves.

Several logical inconsistencies repeatedly break immersion. Hardcore F1 fans will spot more of them, but even casual viewers will find moments that simply don’t make sense.

A night at the movies can be worth it on its own. F1 offers stunning visuals and impressive sound that deliver a memorable experience. But if you're going for the story, look elsewhere. You've seen this one before—many, many times.