If Netflix’s Drive to Survive proved one thing then it’s that F1 has plenty of storytelling potential – both on the track and off it. This is exactly why Apple and Warner Bros teamed up with F1 to bring the all the drama of the pinnacle of motor racing to the big screen. And rather than going down the tried-and-tested documentary/biopic route, F1:The Movie promised something fresh – integrating a fictional team into the championship itself.
This opens the door for endless storytelling potential, but the film’s creators also wanted to ensure authenticity. This is why action sequences were shot during Grand Prix weekends and drivers had to actually drive F2 cars (modified by Mercedes to look like F1 racers); 7-time F1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton even serves as one of the producers. Combine that with bringing onboard the creators of the 2022 blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick, and you surely have all the ingredients to make this the best portrayal of F1 on the big screen. Right? Welll, not really.
Yes, the movie (directed by Joseph Kosinski) is a visual feast, but it quite hit the mark in some other areas.
F1 movie: What worked
On-track action
The best part of the movie has to be the thrilling action sequences. Kosinski took all the technology used while filming Top Gun: Maverick and further developed it to really immerse viewers and give them that in-the-cockpit feel. And it genuinely works – this is racing like you’ve never seen it before. It really does give you an idea of the high stakes involved in racing against 19 other machines at speeds exceeding 350kph.
The fact that Brad Pitt and Damson Idris are actually driving the cars certainly helps, specially during the on-board sequences. The opening sequence in particular – showing Pitt’s character Sonny Hayes driving a night stint at the Daytona 24 Hours – is one of the highlights. And while there is some tasteful use of CGI as well, a real standout was the use of real-life footage, particularly of Martin Donnelly’s horrific crash at the 1990 Spanish GP.
F1 integration
F1 gave creators an all-access pass while filming the movie and the fictional APX GP team genuinely does feel like a 11th addition to the grid.
Cameo appearances by drivers and team principals will also make for fun Easter Eggs for fans of the sport. We even get a peek at Mercedes’ driver-in-loop simulator and Williams’ wind tunnel.
F1 movie: What didn’t work
Screenplay is lacking
Where the movie really fumbles is the screenplay itself, which is far too predictable and falls prey to several cliches.
This is perhaps where the movie’s close ties with F1 is to its detriment. Afterall, most of the championship’s key players collaborated closely with the filmmakers. The end result is a story where neither the championship nor the other teams can be made to look like the bad guys. F1 is all about rivalry – with your teammate, other drivers out on track and some times even the rule makers and enforcers. But none of that makes it to the movie. We do get the tired trope of the smug rookie vs experienced veteran, but that fizzles out, and a last-ditch effort to introduce an antagonist in the final few minutes doesn’t really make an impact.
The dialogues, too, felt contrived and clunky. To put it simply – the movie’s lacking the heart of some of its predecessors. Ron Howard’s Rush has great characterisation and hair-raising monologues that will undoubtedly stand the test of time. Similar emotional depth shone through in Ford v Ferrari as well, probably because these movies are based on some of the biggest (and very real) stories in motorsport. For all the effort that was put into the spectacle for F1: The Movie, it doesn’t feel like enough attention was given to building three-dimensional characters.
Bending the rules too much
Yes, this is a Hollywood movie and requires plenty of suspension of belief. That’s fair; after all, you do require some sensationalism to attract larger audiences. But F1: The Movie sometimes comes across as being confused.
On one hand you have commentators in the movie explaining in detail how tyre strategy and the sport works. But on the other hand, you have Hayes intentionally bringing out the Safety Car several times to help his teammate score points. Echoing the 2008 Crashgate scandal, something like this would easily result in a race ban today, but Hayes is celebrated and praised for the very same thing in the movie. If the movie does want to attract new fans to the sport, it does beg the question – is this the impression of F1 you want to give to larger audiences?
Portrayal of women
This movie goes that extra mile to portray diversity in F1, with women holding some key roles within the team. That’s a great touch… except the female characters also come across as some of the most incompetent here. Kerry Condon plays the role of Kate McKenna, the first female Technical Director in F1 history. But she’s somehow only able to build a competitive car when pushed by Hayes to “design a car for combat”. And then there’s the questionable decision to make her Hayes’ primary love interest.
Another female character, named Jodie, is portrayed as an underconfident pit crew member, dropping tools around the garage and fumbling pit stops early on.
F1 movie: Final verdict
Everything said and done, Joseph Kosinski and Jerry Bruckheimer know how to make an old-school summer blockbuster, and F1: The Movie is just that. There’s no doubt that this is going to introduce F1 to a whole new demographic and It’s well worth a watch even if just for the spectacular action sequences.
For diehard F1 fans, though, it’s a movie best enjoyed if you keep all your racing knowledge aside and just join the ride.
F1:The Movie will be out in theatres across India from June 27.
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