“Formula 1: The Movie” racing into cinemas at full speed

The roads are slick during the final moments of the Italian Grand Prix. F1 veteran Sonny Hayes warns rookie Joshua Pearce to remain on slick racing tires, taking a risk to trade grip for speed and elevating Pearce to pole position two. Despite everything—the terrible weather conditions, the advice from his pit wall team, and his own gut feelings—Pearce ignores Sonny’s explicit instructions to wait for a straight before overtaking Red Bull driver Max Verstrappen. As a result, Pearce hydroplanes off the track, his car bursting into flames as he collides with the barriers. 

Such high-stakes, adrenaline-boosted scenes are numerous throughout the Apple Studio-produced sports drama film “F1: The Movie,” one of many about the acclaimed car racing sport that has made countless drivers’ careers and broken multiple others. 

The movie stars Brad Pitt as Formula 1 driver Sonny Hayes who returns to save APXGP, his former teammate’s underdog team, from collapse after a 30-year hiatus. Alongside fan-favorite actor Damson Idris, who plays the ambitious and arrogant APXGP driver Joshua Pearce, Pitt thrived and adapted in his role. 

Seeing the movie in theatres was an experience like no other—exclusively in IMAX, Apple cut no corners whatsoever and spared nothing when it came to the sophisticated cinematography that made this film; shot completely on custom onboard cameras for the cars by Apple, racing scenes used immersive technology and industry-grade system chips that transcended possibility. For me, it was a beautifully working mechanical body of open frames and smooth camera work that caused this movie to exceed my expectations.

Filming took place during the Grand Prix weekends of the 2023 and 2024 World Championships in collaboration with the FIA, the governing body of F1. According to the official Formula 1 website, racing sequences were adapted from real-life races with F1 teams and drivers making special cameos throughout the movie.

“F1” premiered at Radio City Hall in New York City on June 16, and was released in the United States in theatres on June 27. Instantly, the film received positive reviews from critics and grossed $619 million at the box office worldwide, which was comparable to its $200-300 million budget, becoming the sixth highest-grossing film of 2025.

 Be it controversial or not, I believe this movie to be brilliant and outstanding, and it deserves all the love it received—but while it tries hard to be as realistic as possible, it just isn’t. The movie’s director, Joseph Kosinski, has left many die-hard Formula 1 fans unimpressed with his interpretation of the sport; despite this, following the early box office success of the film, Variety Magazine reported that a sequel was being discussed and the Financial Times reported the possibility of a franchise in the distant future. 

On Rotten Tomatoes, 82% of 351 critics’ reviews are positive. The websites’ consensus reads as follows: “Driven by Brad Pitt’s laidback magnetism and sporting a souped-up engine courtesy of Joseph Kosinski’s kinetic direction, ‘F1: The Movie’ brings vintage cool across the finish line.”

However, it’s important to understand that while it may not be the most accurate exegesis of the motorsport, it’s still a very worthwhile film to watch.