Cast: Brad Pitt, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem, Damson Idris, Tobias Menzies
Genre: Motorsport, Action, Drama, Sport
Director: Joseph Kosinski
In Irish Cinemas: 25th June 2025
From the Cockpit to the Comeback: F1 Redefines Racing Cinema
In F1, visionary director Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick) trades fighter jets for Formula 1 cars, but keeps the throttle wide open. Where his 2022 blockbuster had Tom Cruise defying gravity in the skies, this time Kosinski dives into the high-stakes, high-speed world of Grand Prix racing — and he’s brought another Hollywood heavyweight with him. Brad Pitt stars as Sonny Hayes, a washed-up former racing prodigy turned nomadic thrill-seeker, whose past—both literal and emotional—has left him exiled from the sport he once dominated.
When APXGP, a floundering F1 team on the brink of collapse, comes knocking, it’s Javier Bardem’s Ruben — a charismatic and desperate team owner — who convinces Sonny to come out of retirement. The plan? Inject life into the team and maybe, just maybe, win. But APXGP is in shambles: plagued by bad press, a subpar car (“a shitbox,” in Sonny’s words), and rising tensions with Joshua Pearce (played by breakout star Damson Idris), a fiercely ambitious rookie driver with something to prove.
What follows is part adrenaline-fueled sports drama, part character-driven redemption tale — all delivered with a level of realism rarely seen in Hollywood. Kosinski’s filmmaking pushes the boundaries of immersive action. Custom-engineered, compact IMAX cameras are mounted directly on the cars, putting audiences not just trackside, but on the track. You’re not just watching the race — you’re living it. The roar of the engines, the blur of the tires, the split-second decisions: it’s as if the theatre seat tilts with every corner they take.
The commitment to authenticity goes even deeper. Pitt and Idris, trained rigorously for the film, do much of their driving in modified Formula 2 cars. The film was shot at real Grand Prix events, seamlessly blending fiction with the actual spectacle of race weekends. Cameos from real-world F1 legends — including current drivers, engineers, and commentators — add another layer of believability. Lewis Hamilton, serving as producer and script advisor, ensures that the race sequences not only entertain but also reflect the emotional and technical complexity of modern Formula 1.
At its heart, F1 is about more than just speed. It’s a story of comebacks — personal, professional, and emotional. Pitt’s Sonny is a layered character: part ageing rebel, part broken man, part mentor. His wisecracks might occasionally overstay their welcome, but moments of vulnerability shine through, lending depth to what could’ve been a stock archetype. His dynamic with Idris’s Joshua is electric, a simmering rivalry with undertones of respect, resentment, and eventually, camaraderie.
The supporting cast elevates the drama. Javier Bardem brings a manic charm as the team principal trying to outrun irrelevance. Kerry Condon, as the razor-sharp technical director Kate, steals every scene she’s in — grounded, brilliant, and the real engine behind APXGP’s resurgence. Together, this ensemble captures the chaos, pressure, and occasional poetry of elite motorsport.
Outside the cockpit, the plot sometimes lapses into the familiar rhythms of underdog sports narratives — a broken hero, a big challenge, and ultimate redemption. Still, the execution is so polished, and the world so convincingly rendered, that it rarely feels clichéd. For diehard F1 fans, the accuracy and detail are a dream; for newcomers, the intensity of the action and human drama is more than enough to grip.
In the end, F1 is not just a sports movie — it’s a technical marvel, an emotional ride, and a celebration of what happens when art and adrenaline collide. Kosinski has once again proven his mastery of visceral filmmaking, crafting an experience that demands to be seen on the biggest, loudest screen available.
The question now isn’t whether F1 will leave audiences breathless. It’s: what will Kosinski strap a camera to next?
Overall: 8/10
Movie Reviewer
