Dale Kearney lights up the grid as he looks at F1: The Movie, featuring Thurles actor Kerry Condon.
F1 is one of the most tech-reliant sports out there – you could be the fastest driver and still come last due to your vehicle. With that in mind, it comes as no surprise that a tech company like Apple has decided to back a title about the world-class motorsport helmed by director Joseph Kosinski. The film attaches a fictitious story to the real world of Formula 1, complete with cameos from real-life drivers and team principals. So, does F1: The Movie zoom like a McLaren or trail behind like an Alpine?
The film opens with our lead taking over in a 24-hour race at Daytona. Right away, “Whole Lotta Love” kicks in and Hayes is driving out of the pit lane, weaving to warm up the tyres. This opening sequence is a teaser for the edge-of-your-seat racing that’s to come: wheel-to-wheel action, harsh gear changes, sharp brakes – all these sounds roar at you through the speakers, a sound design that only adds to this rich, visceral experience. Claudio Miranda’s camerawork places us practically in the driver’s seat as we’re rushed down the Hamilton Straight, making us grip the arms of our seats for stability. Needless to say, seeing this in IMAX is a requirement.
After helping his team achieve an impressive win at Daytona, celebrations are short-lived for vagabond and racer-for-hire, Sonny Hayes – played by Brad Pitt (because much like Moneyball, who else are you going to call to save your struggling sports team?). He is recruited as a last-ditch effort by an old friend, Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem), the owner of a struggling team named APXGP. Ruben desperately needs a win in order to save the team from a forced sale. Inheriting what they call in the business “a shitbox”, Hayes and his cocky rookie teammate, Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), must pull together – despite their clashing egos – to somehow win one of the remaining nine races. It’s a monumental task, one aided by Kate (Kerry Condon), APXGP’s technical director.
As a fan who knows their slipstream from their sector times, this critic kept a close watch on the film’s racing realism and, with Lewis Hamilton on as a producer, it was always going to be quite accurate. However, certain creative liberties are taken. For instance, you can’t open DRS on lap one, and it doesn’t matter if you’re Senna himself, you aren’t gaining that many positions in a car within a single sector (a third of the track’s length). Still, it’s a solid representation, with details such as Hayes using tennis balls to test drivers’ reflexes. There’s even a real-life Sky Sports commentary team to give a play-by-play of the race – though they are extremely hand-holdy to explain the stakes of every situation, so even someone who knows nothing about F1 can follow along.
The team behind Top Gun: Maverick – Joseph Kosinski and screenwriter Ehren Kruger – have reunited for yet another summer blockbuster, but this time, they brought their maverick from the sky to the racetrack. Brad Pitt’s Sonny Hayes echoes Tom Cruise’s Pete Mitchell: charismatic, too old for all this, extremely good at what he does, and doesn’t give a rat’s about authority and the rules. To Hayes, rules are meant to be pushed to their absolute limits. If Hayes is anything like Pete, then of course he’s going to need his Penny.
This is where Kerry Condon joins the grid. She proudly plays the role of F1’s first-ever female technical director, whose job is to design a competitive car for the drivers to take out on track. Kate’s out to prove everyone who has ever doubted her wrong. Without fail, Kerry shifts into top gear in every scene with the right amount of dramatic weight, and is more than capable of keeping pace with Pitt’s charm. She is a joy to watch. It’s just a shame that it’s such an unrealised role – but that is a commonality within the script: the puncture on this fine vehicle. Characters in this are like stock cars as opposed to a modified vehicle for the bespoke nature of this film.
F1: The Movie hits all the classic sports clichés, stops for a pit stop, and keeps on going. Joshua Pearce’s initial disdain for Hayes creates overt friction between the two, because that’s what this plot demands: conflict. The story is simply a vehicle for the action: hints at Sonny’s past, injuries people sustain, and replacement drivers – all these aspects only serve each scene rather than the film as a whole. The closest to an overarching theme is the underdog elements of APXGP. It is also constrained by the brand it’s representing, not allowing Hayes and Pearce to interact with another driver on the grid outside of love taps – making the whole racetrack a tad bit hollow. And you know what? It doesn’t matter. The adrenaline-pumping overtake all weaker elements and demands full investment in whatever the latest crisis is. The cast and crew elevate this again even further.
For enthusiasts of the sport wondering if they should check this out, it’s a big recommendation from me – this fan couldn’t help but chuckle at a Guenther Steiner reaction along the pit wall. For general cinemagoers looking for a good summertime blockbuster, you’re safe too. What’s promised in the trailer is definitely delivered. With all the wrong turns Gran Turismo took, F1: The Movie keeps its tyres firmly on the ground. By the film’s end, Kosinski stands victorious on his metaphorical podium, celebrating the technical marvel he’s championed once again with his extremely talented crew – because much like F1, filmmaking is a team effort.
F1: The Movie is in cinemas 25th June 2025.
