Review: ‘F1: The Movie’ speeds down victory lane

Formula 1 (F1) racing has been around since 1950. The cars used to be significantly smaller and offered much less protection to its drivers than modern-day vehicles. Much like soldiers going to war, early F1 drivers risked never returning home to their loved ones, preparing for each race as if it might be their last. The sport was plagued with tragedy that culminated on a race weekend in 1994 when two drivers were killed, including legend Ayrton Senna. Since then, regulations have made the cars safer — and faster. With only 20 spots on the starting grid, it’s one of the most competitive sports on the planet. F1: The Movie tries to capture the excitement from track level.

Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) drifts from race to race, living out of his van and answering drivers wanted ads. He refuses to accept a permanent position, in spite of emerging the best on four wheels in any competition. His old F1 teammate, Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem), owns APXGP, which is in last place for the third consecutive year. Without a win, he will lose the team. So, he asks the best driver he knows to fill their second seat mid-season and drive them to victory. Rookie Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris) isn’t keen on his new teammate, but racing engineer, Kate McKenna (Kerry Condon), thinks Hayes might be exactly what they need.

F1 was primarily a European sport, but the Netflix series, Drive to Survive, increased its popularity in North America, bringing a new wave of fans to the track. This film is going to attract another surge of people fascinated by speed and adrenaline, while also appealing to those who are already race enthusiasts. Director Joseph Kosinski and producer Jerry Bruckheimer wanted the film to be as accurate as possible, so they worked closely with current F1 driver and seven-time world champion, Lewis Hamilton, on the race sequences. This collaboration was enhanced by filming at actual F1 circuits throughout last year’s race season, as well as cameos by real drivers, engineers and commentators. Much like Kosinski’s Top Gun sequel, it’s a fictional story distinctly grounded in the real world its depicting.

Yet, much like Days of Thunder’s portrayal of NASCAR, it’s a Hollywood movie — not a documentary — so it takes liberties with the sport’s rules to make it entertaining. The F1 races are far from standard and their on-track shenanigans would not be tolerated by officials. But they are fun and demonstrate genius (if not entirely legal) race strategy. Still, the efforts to make the races realistic are beyond successful, mimicking live F1 coverage so there’s almost no difference between reality and fantasy. The illusion is bolstered by the casting of real F1 commentators that call the races. Yet, with all these efforts for authenticity, it was a peculiar choice to not use the conventional style of listing the first three letters of the driver’s last name in race displays, instead opting for “HYS” and “PRC.”

The narrative has a solid start. The film opens with Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love,” which gives way to the hum of revving engines. That’s followed by Queen’s “We Will Rock You,” which similarly melds with the sounds of the racetrack. Pitt epitomizes the unpredictable troublemaker, blending his respect for the sport with a need to always push it to its limits. Idris, on the other hand, plays the young, talented athlete whose maturity hasn’t yet caught up with his abilities. Meanwhile, Bardem’s anxious owner is treading a thin line between mastermind and madness, and Condon is the manifestation of all the team’s hopes and dreams.

Unfortunately, the need for high-drama and romance sends the story somewhat off course. The tension feels manufactured, while the affair is cliché. That said, it brings it all back around with an ending fitting of its A-list protagonist — which is actually one of several conclusions shot on location to prevent leaks.

Director: Joseph Kosinski
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris and Javier Bardem