25/06/25

Cineworld, Edinburgh

Capturing the appeal of Formula 1 in a feature film has eluded directors since the 1950s. This Apple production, helmed by Joseph Kosinski, has had a fairly troubled journey to its cinematic release and arrives boasting a rumoured production budget in the region of 300 million dollars – which Groucho Marx would doubtless have dubbed ‘one hell of a region.’ As somebody who cares not one jot for Formula 1, I had expected not to like this quite as much as I do. But Kosinski, pretty much as he did in Top Gun: Maverick, straps the viewer into the driving seat and stamps a virtual foot down hard on the accelerator. For the most part, it works.

Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) is a former F1 driver, who, after a near-fatal crash back in his youth, has lowered his sights somewhat. When we first meet him, he’s gleefully driving a jalopy around a less sophisticated track but he’s clearly learned much over the years and is easily picking up some decent prizes. Out of the blue, he’s approached by his old racing partner, Ruben (Javier Bardem), who offers him second seat on the APXGP Formula 1 team, he now runs, which is currently going through a bad patch. Ruben thinks that Sonny’s vast experience may be just the thing to help his team up the scoreboard.

Sonny is initially reluctant to return to the fray, but eventually the offer of a first class plane ticket to London lures him to Silverstone. He’s immediately met with derision by the team’s young lead driver, Joshua (Damson Idris), and with reluctant interest by the team’s resident car designer, Kate (Kerry Condon). But it’s clear that over the ensuing season of high-stakes racing, Sonny’s relaxed and easygoing attitude is eventually going to win over all opposition…

With a running time of more than two and a half hours, F1: the Movie is probably going to find the bulk of its audience on streaming, but there’s no denying how handsome the film looks with cars thundering around the track to the raunchy backing of classic cuts from the likes of Led Zeppelin and Queen. One of the producers is Lewis Hamilton (who even I’ve heard of) and it’s clear that there are cameos scattered throughout proceedings from people I think I’m supposed to recognise. There’s also a little too much here for a rube like me about the various tricks of the trade that Sonny uses to clip seconds off each circuit. Characters debate the advantages of hard tyres versus soft tyres and various additional doo-hingies, leaving me none the wiser, but I’ve no doubt that fans of the sport will be nodding along in approval.

Pitt makes a great job of the lead role, giving us a character who’s driven by his inner demons but nonetheless remains eminently likeable. While his younger teammates are half killing themselves with their exercise regimes, he seems happy to throw a tennis ball around and head out for a leisurely jog. Condon is terrific as the straight-talking Kate, a perfect foil for Hayes’ cynical, hard-bitten one-liners. But I would like to see the excellent Kim Bodnia given more to do as the team’s principal, Kaspar, than just sit around, frowning furiously at a console.

Everything builds to a final showdown at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, with the very future of the team hanging in the balance. Do they seriously think they’ve a chance of winning?

This makes for decent entertainment; indeed, one sequence, depicting a terrifying crash, actually has me gasping out loud. Aficionados will doubtless have different, more informed criticisms of the film, but for me, this is an enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours. Whether F1 will ever earn back that prodigious production budget remains to be seen.

3.8 stars

Philip Caveney