Review: F1

Directed by: Joseph Kosinski

Written by: Ehren Kruger

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies, Javier Bardem

Rating: [3/5]

While racing primarily focuses on the work of the driver in their vehicle against his contemporaries, it obviously works as an overall feat of collaboration within a team. Members who ensure the car works and a crew who make the necessary in-race adjustments to ensure everything runs smoothly. It does not allow for a lone wolf to necessarily succeed; at least that’s what F1 challenges as a gruff American takes on the most popular global racing sport out there. 

Working as a racer-for-hire in the twilight of his career, Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) gets approached by his former Formula One teammate, Rubén Cervantes (Javier Bardem), who owns a struggling team and would like Hayes to join. While initially reluctant, Hayes opts to join the team and learns the dynamics on display in this racing world but also how his style can potentially serve this team well. 

Having no experience with watching Formula One, this film brought the opportunity to teach me more not only about why it has such popularity but also all of the components that go into ensuring the product on race days is so intricately planned out. So much goes into it, and while this film also seeks to serve as a commercial for the sport, it additionally tries to attach a compelling story along with an immersive experience as well. For the most part the film succeeds in the second part but not necessarily the first one. 

Even when observing the trailer, this film does not seek to provide the most compelling story. One could argue no sports film ever does attempt this. We have this renegade American entering into a global arena, and instead of integrating into their style, he decides he will bring his rough-and-tumble approach to racing. It does not matter who he offends in the process. Additionally, Sonny must contend with not only winning over this new crew but also building an effective working relationship with his teammate, Joshua (Damson Idris), who does not care for this new addition. The film hits every single beat one could possibly expect from a racing film. It does not contain the same emotional effectiveness as Ford v Ferrari , but it will sure try to supersede it through its technical components. 

When crafting this film, by far the most intriguing component lay in the way they could capture the intensity of sitting in the driver’s seat of these vehicles. It makes sense Joseph Kosinski would choose this as his next project following the monumentally successful Top Gun: Maverick, where he displayed his ability to craft something impressively immersive. If he can create this within a fighter jet cockpit, he fancies himself proficient enough to take it to a racetrack and inside a Formula 1 car. This component had the highest expectations for this film, and Kosinski once again delivers. The way he captures the sheer speed these vehicles go and the true danger these drivers face every time they step onto the track comes through very clearly. This area I certainly cannot begrudge, but what ultimately held this film back a bit redirects us right back to the overall narrative. 

Standing at a whopping 155 minutes, this film for all of the great racing moments contains far too much fluff. They truly jam-pack this movie with a plethora of subpar dialogue and an overall narrative that elongates the viewing experience to a disconcerting degree. It left me just waiting for the next race, and that comes down to the film not really having any truly intriguing characters. Each of them plays a specific role in the story, but none of them make a real impression. As much as they hope Sonny Hayes accomplishes this feat of crafting a character worth caring about, it just all comes across flat in the end. 

A mixed bag overall, F1 does not create a compelling story or characters that leave any memorable impression, but it accomplishes its main goal of crafting exhilarating race sequences. When the film presented these scenes, it ticked every box on the entertainment column, and therefore I remain overall positive on it even if those racing sequences feel far and few between amongst a mostly forgettable narrative.