F1
Release Date: 26th June 2025 - Australia
Production Companies
Apple Studios (present)
Warner Bros. Pictures (present)
Jerry Bruckheimer Films
Plan B Entertainment
Dawn Apollo Films
Distribution
Universal Pictures Australia
Genre: Action/Drama
Rating: M
Runtime: 156 minutes
Budget: $300,000,000
Box Office Gross: $466,117,154 (Worldwide - figure subject to change)
Plot Summary
Sonny Hayes, often called
"the greatest that never
most promising talent of
the 1990s until a near-
fatal accident on the track
threatened to end his
career. Now a freelance
racer-for-hire, he is
approached thirty years
later by his former
teammate, Ruben
Cervantes, who owns
a struggling Formula 1
collapse. Ruben convinces
Sonny to return to Formula
1 for one final attempt
at saving the team and
becoming the best in the
world. He'll drive alongside
Joshua Pearce, the team's
rookie sensation, who is
determined to set his own
pace. However, as the
engines roar, Sonny's
dreams from his past come
back to haunt him. He
your teammate is your
fiercest competitor and
that you cannot travel the
road to redemption alone.
Cast
Brad Pitt - Sonny Hayes
Damson Idris - Joshua Pearce
Javier Bardem - Ruben Cervantes
Kerry Condon - Kate McKenna
Kim Bodnia - Kaspar Smolinski
Sarah Niles - Bernadette Pearce
Will Merrick - Nickleby
Joseph Balderrama - Rico Fazio
Abdul Salis - Dodge Dowda
Callie Cooke - Jodie
Samson Kayo - Cash
Simon Kunz - Don Cavendish
Liz Kingsman - Lisbeth Bampton
Simone Ashley - Herself (Cameo)
Ramona Von Pusch - Liesl
Smolinski
Barney Smith - Kaspar's Son
Daughter
Luciano Bacheta - Luca Cortez
Rosie Dwyer - Pippa Leguin
Martin Brundle - Himself
David Croft - Himself
Leigh Diffey - Daytona Race Broadcaster
Shea Whigham - Chip Hart
Patrick Long - Himself (Cameo)
Will Redmond - Young Engineer
Michael Aaron Milligan - Strategy Director
Kyle Rankin - Cale Kelso
Sonny's Assistant
Steven Sean Garland - BMW
Driver
Avis-Marie Barnes - Diner
Waitress
Will Buxton - Himself
Rachel Brookes - Herself
Natalie Pinkham - Herself
Maria Thoma - Presenter
Tom Clarkson - Las Vegas Press Conference Presenter
Zoe Oedekerk - Las Vegas
Fun Loving Clubber
Tiësto - Himself
Elena Rivers - Supper Club Hostess
Nancy Carroll - Abu Dhabi
Corporate Executive #1
Ankur Bahl - Abu Dhabi
Corporate Executive #2
Mohammed Alkhoori - Abu Dhabi Trophy Presenter
Salwa Al Hadhrami - Abu
Dhabi Podium Dignitary
Sal Lopez - Baja Old Timer
Mechanic's Son
Gabriel Rivas - Baja
Teenage Grandson
Alexander Albion - Himself (Cameo)
Fernando Alonso - Himself
(Cameo)
Oliver Bearman - Himself (Cameo)
Valterri Bottas - Himself (Cameo)
Franco Colapinto - Himself
(Cameo)
(Cameo)
Jack Doohan - Himself (Cameo)
Pierre Gasly - Himself (Cameo)
Zhou Guanyu - Himself (Cameo)
Lewis Hamilton - Himself (Cameo)
Nico Hülkenberg - Himself (Cameo)
Liam Lawson - Himself
(Cameo)
Charles Leclerc - Himself
(Cameo)
(Cameo)
Lando Norris - Himself (Cameo)
Esteban Ocon - Himself (Cameo)
Sergio Pérez - Himself (Cameo)
Oscar Piastri - Himself (Cameo)
Daniel Ricciardo - Himself (Cameo)
George Russell - Himself (Cameo)
Carlos Sainz Jr. - Himself (Cameo)
Logan Sargeant - Himself
(Cameo)
Yuki Tsunoda - Himself (Cameo)
Max Verstappen - Himself (Cameo)
Zak Brown - Himself (Cameo)
Christian Horner - Himself (Cameo)
Guenther Steiner - Himself (Cameo)
Lawrence Stroll - Himself (Cameo)
Frédéric Vasseur - Himself (Cameo)
James Vowles - Himself (Cameo)
Toto Wolff - Himself (Cameo)
Stefano Domenicali - Himself (Cameo)
Roscoe - Himself
Crew
Story/Producer/Director - Joseph Kosinski
Story/Writer - Ehren Kruger
Casting Directors - Lucy Bevan and
Emily Brockmann
Executive Producer/First Assistant Director -
Toby Hefferman
Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager -
Daniel Lupi
Executive Producers - Tim Bampton,
Stefano Domenicalli, Ian Holmes
and Toto Wolff
Producers - Dede Gardner, Lewis Hamilton,
Jeremy Kleiner, Chad Oman and Brad Pitt
Co-Producers - John K. Campbell,
Emily Cheung, Melissa Reid and Penni Thow
Co-Producer/Unit Production Manager - Ben Piltz
Production Designers - Ben Munro and
Mark Tildesley
Concept Artist - Charlie Cobb
Art Directors - Oliver Benson, Abe El Habashy,
Hugh McClelland, Timothy Moen and Ketan Waikar
Set Decorators - Reynan Castro Del Rosario,
Andrew McCarthy and Véronique Melery
Property Master: Las Vegas - Chris Call
Costume Designer - Julian Day
Hair and Makeup Designer - Denise Kum
Director of Photography - Claudio Miranda
Second Unit Director/Stunt Coordinator - Adam Kirley
Action Vehicles Supervisor - Graham Kelly
Supervising Stunt Coordinator - Gary Powell
Aerial Coordinator/Helicopter Pilot: USA - Kevin LaRosa II
Special Effects Supervisor - Keith Dawson
Special Effects Supervisor: USA - Elia P. Popov
Visual Effects On-Set Supervisor - Edward Price
Visual Effects Supervisor - Ryan Tudhope
Visual Effects Supervisors: Framestore -
Nicolas Chevallier and Robert Harrington
Supervisor: BLIND Ltd - Andrew Booth
Editors - Stephen Mirrione and Patrick J. Smith
Supervising Sound Editor/Sound Designer - Al Nelson
Supervising Sound Editor - Gwendolyn Yates Whittle
Re-Recording Mixers - Juan Peralta and
Gary A. Rizzo
Production Sound Mixer - Gareth John
Original Score - Hans Zimmer
Additional Score/Score Producer - Steve Mazzarro
Music Mixer - Alan Meyerson
Review
Hollywood is in danger of losing its audiences due to its recent reliance on remakes, reboots, cash-grab sequels, and unsuccessful attempts at creating franchises, which have threatened to undermine its standing. Thankfully, it's all about to change with the blockbuster release of F1, which embraces the classic storytelling conventions that Hollywood has forgotten. As you know, Formula One is the world's most popular motorsport. It has experienced a resurgence during the pandemic, thanks to the Netflix docuseries Drive to Survive. However, I was never a fan of this huge racing event, as I only watched the Supercar races at Mount Panorama.
Riding the wave of success from Top Gun: Maverick, Joseph Kosinski returns to deliver another thrilling spectacle in F1. Kosinski expressed interest in directing a racing film after the one about the 1966 Le Mans event, featuring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt, fell through due to budget concerns. That movie later became Ford v Ferrari, directed by James Mangold and starring Matt Damon and Christian Bale in the lead roles. His regular collaborators from the previous film, including writer Ehren Kruger and producer Jerry Bruckheimer, return to assist him with this latest outing, thus reassembling the dream team. But one question remains? Will this movie offer a cinematic experience similar to Kosinski's offering from 2022? The answer is yes.
While the film is similar to the director's previous movie, it reminds me of Days of Thunder as both films fall under the description of "Top Gun on wheels." Interestingly, Bruckheimer and legendary composer Hans Zimmer worked on that film before F1. Unfortunately, the biggest issue within F1 is its plot, which relies on familiar narrative beats from other inspirational sports movies because it is formulaic and predictable. However, its complex character moments, depth, and themes of resilience, redemption, the pursuit of greatness, and the power of teamwork make up for it. Lewis Hamilton's involvement as a producer is evident, with his guidance playing a pivotal role in ensuring the authenticity of the racing scenes. This commitment to accuracy extended to even the subtle details, such as the gear changes made during cornering.
Acting legend Brad Pitt headlines the cast, lending his magnetic charm and effortless charisma as the veteran race driver Sonny Hayes. The two-time Oscar winner's passion for racing is evident in his character, whose enthusiasm for the sport is infectious. Like Tom Cruise before him, he is one of the last movie stars of his generation. Although he was 61, he still kept his rugged good looks for the part. Damson Idris excels as the overconfident young driver, Joshua Pearce, adding depth to the role with his precise facial expressions and an air of confidence that matches Sonny's. The chemistry between him and Pitt is explosive, with a "veteran versus rookie" dynamic that evokes the intensity of a high-speed race.
Javier Bardem shines as struggling team owner and former Formula 1 driver, Ruben Cervantes, a role that could have amounted to mere bravado. Kerry Condon steals the show as technical director Kate McKenna, who acts as the team's voice of reason. Additionally, the Irish actress shares romantic chemistry with Pitt on screen. Formula One fans will recognise Hamilton and his peers, such as Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, and Lando Norris, in short cameo appearances during the off-track scenes.
The movie stands out for its consistently exhilarating racing scenes, which provide an adrenaline rush for racing fans and propel the narrative forward in top gear. Claudio Miranda's cinematography establishes the film's realistic visual style. Whereas the cockpit camerawork in Top Gun: Maverick is impressive, F1 takes it to the next level, delivering an immersive, high-impact viewing experience. The editing and sound design are top-notch, enhancing the racing sequences quite well, as do the film's striking visuals. Hans Zimmer, who incidentally composed the score for Rush, another Formula One movie, delivers a killer, heart-pounding, electric score featuring songs by Queen, Led Zeppelin, Ed Sheeran, and others.
Arguably, F1 is a full-throttle sensation for audiences that captures the visceral thrills of the motorsport and is close to dethroning Ford v Ferrari as the best racing movie. It's an absolute reminder of why I love popcorn movies. Whether you're into cars or not, this is a must-see film.
Star rating: (9/10) Excellent Movie
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