Although a coincidence, it seems fitting that I went to see F1: The movie - this past weekend. The movie a) started with a race at Silverstone, b) the first Formula 1 (F1) race was at Silverstone and c) F1 fans will know that this past weekend the real race was at the Silverstone track in England.
I went to my favourite cinema with my husband, a lifelong F1 fan and my 3 children. My oldest daughter is following in her father’s footsteps and is intrigued about everything F1. However, one does not need to be a seasoned fan to appreciate the movie. If you are into speed, fast cars or the thrill of F1 - this was an entertaining and fun movie.
The main character was Sonny Hayes played by Brad Pitt - who at 61 years old might not be the most realistic F1 driver; I am not sure his body could still handle the G-force. However, it is a movie and I think he managed to “pull it off” with him playing the maverick driver. Sonny returned to F1 after 30 years to save his old teammate’s, Ruben (Javier Bardem), struggling team called APXGP. Interesting name - sounds like a scammy crypto coin - however I digress. Sonny’s arrogant rookie mentee and teammate is Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris). One cannot fault the acting. Lewis Hamilton is one of the producers and that brought some authenticity to the movie, including the branded team sponsors.
One of the best parts of the movie were the racing scenes - they were breathtaking. The way the races were shot, it was as though one is sitting in the car with the driver on the grid - the engines roar and off you go. It felt so real - it got the adrenaline pumping. It was a racing experience indeed. It was intense and exhilarating - one got goosebumps with some of the manoeuvres and not to mention the crashes. One could also sense the chaos and/or the tension at the pit lane. This was elevated by the dramatic music. The work of the pit crew was like high pressure choreography and teamwork. One mistake and it could be all over - that vibe was felt at every race.
The adapted races were from real race footage of the 2023/2024 World Championships. They were dramatic and spectacular. Seeing real-life F1 race drivers, such as Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, during the movie was a real treat. Even Rosco, Hamilton’s dog, made a cameo appearance. Real life crashes were reenacted too. They were visceral, as one’s stomach dropped as we hoped for the driver’s survival. We are reminded of the sheer danger of driving so fast - over 300 kmph. I am also certain that all F1 fans - upon hearing the voice of the female technical director, Kate McKenna (Kerry Condon) would immediately think of the real life strategy analyst - Bernie Collins.
I thought it was funny to hear Sonny respectfully say of Max Verstappen as he blast passed him during a race,
He’s just too good.
The Spa Francorchamps incident of Sonny and JP, evoked a lot of emotions with my family as they had deja-vu. They attended the real race years ago and were rooting for Hamilton, who was knocked out in a collision with Rosberg, his teammate.
The movie provided just enough recognisable real life race occurrences and scenery; this created discussion points and even more excitement for F1 fans whilst watching. The attention to detail was phenomenal - for the most part. Funny enough, what happened in the first race of the movie happened to Carlos Sainz last week. He was not able to start during the formation lap but due to different reasons.
The love/romance scene with the female technical director, Kate, was totally unnecessary but it is a hollywood film afterall. Also, the only female pit crew member made a mistake - this was a bit cliche. Of course, some of the driving is unreal as one can hardly overtake on most tracks but Sonny managed to do so easily - overtaking 3 cars at one point. Sonny’s crashing tactics as a strategy made the movie exciting but in real life he would be disqualified. However, this is not a documentary. Although predictable, I wanted that happy ending. I wanted Sonny to win and he did!
Suspending disbelief was easy enough for this fun, exciting and gripping movie. My family loved it and thought it was a great sports film. It was a thrilling ride.
Photos are my own unless sourced.
