F1 Goes Hollywood. But Is The Movie For Real Fans?

Forbes

15 hours ago

Brad Pitt and Damson Idris
A star-studded cast, high-octane racing, and the weight of Formula 1's logo behind it. On paper, the new F1 movie has everything—an A-list lineup, jaw-dropping cinematography, and a reported $200 million budget to bring it to life. With real circuits, real teams, and a real racing icon like Lewis Hamilton involved behind the scenes, it presents itself as a film deeply rooted in the sport. But with all that behind it, the question remains: is this really for F1 fans or just made to look the part?
*Spoilers ahead*
Between Realism And Hollywood
Racing is notoriously difficult to get right on screen. As an intensely technical sport, it risks dragging the movie's pace down if overexplained. But swing too far in the other direction and oversimplify it, ignore realism…then the result can feel hollow and even cartoonish. Motorsport movies often struggle to strike that balance, and so for the purists, it can be even more difficult to impress.
The F1 movie clearly sets out to ground itself in realism. Director Joseph Kosinski, alongside Oscar-winning cinematographer Claudio Miranda, designed custom camera rigs that could not only mount directly onto the cars but also be operated remotely. Much effort was made to ensure they could capture the thrill of the racing scenes.
However, the movie often teeters awkwardly between authenticity and spectacle. Some scenes depict Sonny Hayes using tactics that would never fly under FIA regulations: excessively slowing on the formation lap to gain an advantage, intentionally causing a crash to trigger a safety car, and holding up rivals under blue flags.
This is cinema. It's meant to thrill, not replicate a steward's report. But it raises a valid question: for new viewers unfamiliar with the sport's rules and culture, will this version of Formula 1 shape their understanding of what racing actually is?
Representation In The Paddock
The movie centers around APX GP, a team that's desperately trying to climb its way from the back of the grid, and leading the technical direction of the car is Kate McKenna (played by Kerry Condon). It's a welcome image, especially since there aren't many women in top positions in the sport, but even that progressive moment comes with a catch. Her car is underperforming badly, and she changes the entire concept mid-season for Sonny Hayes, a driver who hasn't raced in F1 in thirty years. For all the film's gestures toward inclusion, it falls flat, leaning on the tired trope of leaning on a man whose instincts override the data, the engineers, and the woman in charge.
McKenna's character is also written into a romantic subplot with Hayes, an arc that adds limited depth to the story and potentially undercuts her authority as a team leader. Though her presence is important, the execution may leave viewers questioning how much weight the character really carries.
Another female character appears as a pit crew member, but she goes unnamed. She works the wheel gun during pit stops and is often shown in the background of the garage, dropping tools and mishandling equipment, and ruining pit stops. While she eventually learns from her mistakes, the framing leans more toward running gag than meaningful development.
Actress Simone Ashley was listed in the cast and featured in the pre-release buzz. But her role was cut to a cameo, which can happen in the edit.
It simply calls into question the inclusion and representation of female characters in sports narratives on a larger scale.
Designed For Newcomers
From the get-go, it was clear the F1 movie wasn't targeting seasoned fans. Like Drive To Survive, F1 is an onboarding ramp to bring in those who know little about the sport but like fast cars, big names, and cool racing scenes and underdog arcs.
And in that way, it works. The film is slick, digestible, and visually gripping. But for those who follow the sport closely, it feels like Formula 1 has been filtered through a Hollywood lens, more to entertain than to inform. After all, it's not a documentary. It never claimed to be.
But for fans used to the sport's detail, tension, and constant evolution, this version might feel like it leaves something behind in the rearview mirror.