"F1: The Movie" and it's Place Amongst Those Before It

It's a lighthearted review.

One of my earliest memories was sitting on the couch or floor as a child watching auto racing. I could tell you my favorite drivers as early as three. I could name the entire grid on the CART circuit. I could name the champions of all major racing disciplines by the time I entered grade school. While many don’t understand the allure of the sport, I’ve always felt at home at the racetrack or with it on TV, no matter the shape or form.

So when “Drive To Survive” hit everyone’s favorite streaming service, it was a welcome surprise to see everyone start to show more of an interest in Formula One, and while the show dramatizes a Grand Prix to some extent, I always felt that it did a great job. It’s weird having something that used to feel so niche become mainstream. No longer was waking up to watch the opening round from Albert Park. It seemed like everyone became a fan overnight.

So when “F1: The Movie” (that’s the official name of it?) was announced, I was equal parts excited and cautious.

Finally, a new racing movie. “Rush” was fantastic. “Ford vs. Ferrari” was stellar.
But a modern F1 movie? I wanted to believe it would be good, but I had been spurned before.

I make no bones about the fact that I am an Indycar fan, and 2001’s “Driven” has been universally panned for how outrageous it makes one of the most influential forms of motorsport appear.

(It’s so bad, but it’s a guilty pleasure.)

Nascar has had it’s share of movies, the good and bad, but the last real one was Talladega Nights, and it was a farce of what the southern based racing series was.

So I went in with hope in my heart that “F1” would be good, if not great.

Here’s my review of the film. Will it be in depth and chronological? Ehh, no. Very much a flow of the mind.

Ok, FINAL SPOILER WARNING.

Cool.

Lights Out and Away We Go.

Sonny Hayes is a complicated character. He’s a lone wolf, a cowboy, very much the cliché veteran race car driver who used to be a hot shot. We are introduced right away with the familiar sound of the V10 engine from the early 90s, before a crash wakes him up and we’re taken to Daytona where our character is racing in the 24 hours.

The racing scenes, OH my god. Shot soooo well. You are in the car, you are in the helmet of Brad Pitt. You are in the seat with Damson Idris. The sound, the edits were phenomenal in that sense. There are some things that could make those with a weak stomach a little dizzy, but they are quick.

The team around the drivers is diverse and fun. My wife and I personally took a liking to Kerry Condon’s character, who is the designer of the car’s aerodynamics. She is smart, witty, and takes no bullshit from Sonny…

Until the final third of the movie, but it’s Hollywood. Woman falls for a charming man who drives fast. It’s a tired cliché.

(You deserve so much better than him!)

The actual realism of the racing scenes in movies is a hot button issue for many race fans. Do we expect it to be a word for word copy from the real world? No, it’s a movie. If it were, we would see Lewis Hamilton or Max Verstappen dominate the races by 30 seconds over the field and that just wouldn’t make a good movie.

(Hey Drive to Survive Fans, you’re getting a nice recap most of the time. Watching some F1 races are a test of mental endurance some days.)

Racing scenes come in various shapes and sizes. Ford vs. Ferrari does a very good job basing their scenes on reality, even if they filmed the Daytona 24 Hours in Fontana California at Auto Club Speedway (RIP.) or Rush, even with the heavy dose of CGI in some parts.

Then you get scenes like in Driven (Oh god we’re gonna clown this movie a lot). Every crash has cars flipping and catching fire instantly.

F1 feels real, until it isn’t. In the race at Monza, towards the end of the race, Joshua Pierce, Hayes’ hotshot rookie teammate, is following his lead to try and catch the leader while racing on slick tires in the rain. With a chance to win, Hayes tells him to be patient, but the kid slips to outside, makes the pass but slides off the track and…Oh god…

It’s Driven, but filmed for IMAX and with much better PR.

It’s essentially this.

When I saw it for the first time, It instantly took me out of the movie. Thankfully, the pacing of the film wrangles you back in almost instantly. There are other issues, like Sonny’s ways of manipulating a race, and never getting caught by the FIA (race officials).

The story itself is not revolutionary either. Veteran driver brought in to help teach rookie and “save” the struggling team. Stop me if you’ve heard that one before. (Hint: Driven) It does, however, have something Driven doesn’t.

Heart.

You instantly like these characters. They all get their moment in the sun. Some of the lines are fun, some are cringey, but you can’t help but want to see this team win. They do a great job of showing the diversity in the teams. Men and Women, of all ethnicities, working together for the ultimate goal.

The final race is predictable, it bends the REAL world of F1 racing to make it happen, but OH my god is it fun. Who cares.

I loved it. Will it win any awards for groundbreaking story or innovative anything? Hell no. But it’s made for IMAX. Go see it on a big screen with a big drink and strap in.

The sound mixing is fantastic. Hans Zimmer’s score is brilliant as always. This is they ideal summer blockbuster.

8/10

So where does it rank as far as racing movies in history?

Is it Senna? Ford vs Ferrari? Rush? No.

But it’s just as fun. It is a solid top 10 all time, with final rank up for discussion.