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F1 Movie (2025): Carlos Sainz in a Ferrari for one Last Time
- Norrin
- Aug 1
- 4 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
The F1 (2025) movie is a pulse-pounding racing drama from Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski, with Brad Pitt in the lead as a former Formula One star pulled back into the sport to guide a young up-and-comer, played by Damson Idris.
Mixing real F1 action with big-screen storytelling, the film brings the adrenaline, drama, and heart of motorsport to life in a way that feels both thrilling and authentic. Lewis Hamilton’s first production succeeds in making this larger-than-life movie. Imagine the intensity of Top Gun: Maverick but in the F1 world with Hans Zimmer’s music score.
The Plot Of The Movie F1 (2025)
A middle-aged, retired F1 racer, Sonny Hayes, was once a promising rookie, but his career ended after a massive crash in the 1990s. Thirty years later, the owner of the Apex GP team, Ruben Cervantes, convinces Sonny Hayes to race for him after the mid-season.
Apex (APX) GP is a struggling team on the current grid, facing the threat of being removed from the sport if they fail to deliver even a single win in the upcoming season. Ruben Cervantes, the team principal, reaches out to retired F1 racer Sonny Hayes. Sonny, still passionate about racing, is seen competing in the Le Mans championship.
Sonny Hayes is eventually convinced to race for APX GP in Formula 1, where he meets his rookie teammate, Joshua Pearce, a young driver full of passion, hunger, and reluctant to accept the idea of racing alongside an old man. Sonny begins the tough process of adapting to the brutal, ruthless nature of the sport after three decades away. The movie surprises you with a few plot twists as the story unfolds.
The Cast and The Cameos of the Movie F1
A fresh movie about F1, with a fresh cast and plenty of exciting cameos to look forward to. Brad Pitt as Sonny Hayes is clearly the star of the film; his screen presence and the way his character is developed are truly engaging. Brad Pitt’s range and versatility really shine, especially if you’ve seen Moneyball, where he plays the role of a sports coach so convincingly it feels like a completely different actor.
That being said, Damson Idris as Joshua Pearce did not fail to impress me with his acting—he absolutely nails the role of a young racer filled with hunger, passion, and arrogance. Damson gets his moment to shine in this movie without being overshadowed by Brad Pitt, and his screen presence and potential are clearly felt through his performance.
Kerry Condon has played the character of Kate McKenna, the first female race engineer. Kerry gives a good performance throughout, but the script fails to maintain the character development in the second half, a downgrade on the part of the writers here.
I would recommend the movie ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’, which gives justice to her acting chops. Javier Bardem plays the role of the team principal, Ruben Cervantes. Javier does not have a lot of screen time in the movie, but he overshadows Brad Pitt in the emotional scenes with his realistic acting and with the given screen time.
Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, and Max Verstappen have impactful cameos in the movie that earn big cheers in the theatre. Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris, and George Russell have some great podium moments, while Carlos Sainz appears multiple times in the Ferrari jersey one last time, something truly emotional to see as a fan of the Smooth Operator.
Team Principals and Executives have surprisingly hilarious and even better cameos than the racers. Frederic Vasseur and Guenther Steiner easily have the best cameos to look forward to. Christian Horner and Toto Wolff also deliver some really good ones.
The Cinematography and Visuals of The F1 Movie
The cinematography in F1 is nothing short of revolutionary. Shot by Oscar-winner Claudio Miranda. (Top Gun: Maverick) Using custom-built, IMAX-compatible cameras mounted on actual F1 cars, the visuals achieve an unprecedented level of realism that every corner, vibration, and overtake feels. Using custom-built IMAX-compatible cameras, it is visible that the cameras are placed on actual cars.
Real race grids such as Silverstone, Monza, Spa, and Yas Marina are used for shooting of the movie, which is a surprise for the Formula 1 fans and works greatly in favour of showing authenticity and realism. The racer's point-of-view scenes feel as realistic as watching an actual race.
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The final race of the movie is such a roller-coaster ride, and the music score of Hans Zimmer just elevates the experience to the next level. One particular scene, where the character of Idris is racing with Lewis Hamilton which made me wonder about the hold this movie had on me during the race sessions.
Where the movie falls short
F1 is a visual spectacle, but the film follows a familiar trope of factual errors, much like Joseph Kosinski’s previous works. The most unbelievable part of the movie, especially for an F1 fan, is how Brad Pitt’s character repeatedly violates FIA regulations and still gets away with it, eventually even scoring points for his team. In reality, such actions would lead to immediate disqualification or even further penalties.
Another unrealistic aspect is how a debuting team manages to qualify in the top 10 and go wheel-to-wheel with world champions within their first few races. Even by Hollywood standards, this stretches believability.
Kerry Condon’s character plays the technical director of the fictional team. In real-world F1, a personal relationship between a driver and a technical director would be considered a serious breach of team discipline. It would likely draw immediate internal scrutiny and intense media attention, making it highly controversial and implausible in the tightly controlled environment of Formula 1.
Should You Watch It? Yes
The F1 movie is nothing like Rush or Ford v Ferrari; it’s not trying to achieve anything similar. It’s a high-tempo entertainer that can be enjoyed by both F1 and non-F1 fans. It’s a popcorn entertainer that serves as a massive living advertisement for the sport of F1.
