‘F1’ Review

Stars: Brad Pitt, Javier Bardem, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies, Kim Bodnia, Sarah Niles | Written by Ehren Kruger | Directed by Joseph Kosinski

The team behind smash hit Top Gun sequel Maverick – director Joseph Kosinski, writer Ehren Kruger and producer Jerry Bruckheimer – reunite for this officially branded Formula One racing drama, which will be jockeying for pole position amongst this summer’s blockbusters. For the most part, it ticks all the right boxes, but that’s also part of the problem, because this Formula One movie is ultimately a little too formulaic for its own good.

The plot centres on Brad Pitt as Sonny Hayes, a formerly promising Formula One driver, who dropped out of the sport following a horrific crash in the ‘90s. Now living out of his van and entering random races just for the fun of it, Sonny is approached by former teammate-turned-owner Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem), who asks him to join Apex, his Formula One team, with the aim of mentoring cocky up-and-coming racing star Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris).

Needless to say, Sonny agrees, and he and Pearce go through the tried-and-tested routine of butting heads and bickering, before eventually earning each other’s respect in time to work together as a team. Soon, Apex are shooting up the ranks and on course to win the championship, but various obstacles are waiting in the wings, not least board member Peter Banning (Tobias Menzies), who has his own plans for the team.

The racing sequences are obviously key to a film about Formula One, and for the most part they’re fine – they give a palpable sense of atmosphere, deliver the requisite rush of speed and put you right there in the driver’s seat, courtesy of a camera set-up that indicates Pitt and Idris are both doing their own driving, at least at certain moments.

However, the actual drama of the races themselves is somehow lost in the process. For one thing, the script relies too heavily on racing commentators (and team members) telling the audience what’s happening, rather than staging the races in an exciting manner (something that 2019’s Ford v Ferrari understood and got right).

In fairness, as with Ford v Ferrari, it might have helped if the racing sequences were in support of a better screenplay, or at least a story with higher dramatic stakes. As it is, every beat of F1 is eminently predictable, to the point where you practically know what’s going to happen in the scene the moment the scene begins. There are literally no surprises, and no twists and turns, other than the literal ones on the actual racetrack, and even they feel underused.

Fortunately, the performances, at least, are firing on all cylinders. Pitt is delightful as Sonny, a role that fits his movie star screen persona to a T – he’s effortlessly charming and a pleasure to watch throughout. Against him, Idris holds his own nicely, though he’s hampered by a shockingly underwritten character – it’s worth noting that a subplot involving his probable love interest (Simone Ashley, who was cast and shot scenes) was apparently cut from the finished film.

The real star of the show turns out to be Kerry Condon, who gives the role of Kate McKenna – Apex’s technical director and Sonny’s love interest – so much more than the film deserves, creating a likeable, engaging character and generating sexy chemistry with Pitt. There’s also strong work from Sarah Niles (as Pearce’s mum) and Bardem is reliably good, if also a little underused as Ruben.

With regard to the film’s various flaws, it’s fair to say that die-hard Formula One fans probably won’t mind all that much, as they’ll be too busy spotting the multiple appearances by real-life racing stars and ticking off all the in-jokes. That’s the main benefit of the official Formula One endorsement, though it also arguably impacts the film, because it means there’s no villain character, at least not one on the track.

As corporate-endorsed blockbusters go then, F1 isn’t quite up there with Barbie, though it’s never less than watchable and should prove a hit with its target audience of Formula One fans. It’s just a shame it’s so formulaic.

*** 3/5

F1 is in cinemas now.