Review: F1 The Movie

Martha van Zyl was invited to an early screening of F1 The Movie.

The South African premiere of F1 The Movie was more than just a ‘green’ carpet meets racetrack moment. The night brought together friends and fans who know you don’t need alcohol to enjoy the moment, just good company, great storytelling, and a drink that keeps you in the driver’s seat.

Lighting Up Purple Sectors

The racing action is spectacular! From the 24 Hours of Daytona to the F1 season finale in Abu Dhabi, when the drivers are buckled in, it’s all exciting and thrilling.

From the helmet cam, the pit wall tension, and the pit stop action, the movie really draws the audience in, holding their breath, laughing at Sonny’s “Oops” (there are a few of those), and applauding when one of the APX GP drivers make a move.

You really should watch this at an IMAX cinema with loads of friends; the vibe is a fantastic part of what makes the movie work.

Red Flags

I honestly don’t think the movie needed the love story between Sonny and Kate. It’s a storyline that essentially undermines everything Kate has achieved.

Imagine, leaving her husband to pursue her dream, only to fall for a racing driver she knows for less than a few weeks (considering their main interaction is during racing debriefs, with two or three exceptions).

She’s portrayed as a stereotype-breaking aerodynamic genius, but risks her career and her team’s dynamics because she caught feelings for a reckless and seemingly unreliable temp driver. Nah, not buying it.

The non-actors, F1 pundits and journalists playing themselves, were obviously stilted in their performances, even when just doing voiceovers. The possible exception is McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown, who is a jovial performer at the worst of times. The man loves the camera.

Safety Car

Another thing that will make F1 The Movie memorable is the amount of one-liners. I loved the one uttered by my favourite team principal, Frédéric (Fred) Vasseur, when asked what the Ferrari team thinks about APX GP’s recent performance. The splicing in of actual team radio from Max Verstappen had me giggling as well.

The film also gives the viewer a glimpse into parts of the development and race track that even fans don’t often get to see, like the wind tunnel testing and the incredible view of the Abu Dhabi pit exit that dips beneath the track.

That Crash (Spoiler)

There are a few of those in the movie, but the most vivid is Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris) flipping his car in a Monza race while overtaking for the lead in the wet. It’s based on two real-life racing incidents.

In 2019, Alex Peroni’s Formula 3 car hit a sausage kerb in that location, launching the car into the air and over the barrier, much like Pearce’s in the film. However, it’s Romain Grosjean’s crash at the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix that immediately came to mind, complete with the extreme fire damage to his hands.

If you’ve watched Drive to Survive, you’ll know all about it. And if you don’t, it’s worth watching to see how safe modern F1 cars are and what extreme athletes F1 drivers truly are.

Caveat Emptor

For everything F1 The Movie gets right, there’s plenty of poetic licence taken, and die-hard fans should know this to avoid “well, ahktually” moments.

Most notably, Sonny races with non-regulation socks, wearing some jewellery and a paper playing card in the pocket of his racing suit. Do racing suits even have pockets? (That’s rhetorical, but it gives you an idea of what I’m talking about.)

Another one is a breach of Formula 1 sporting regulation 32.2, when Sonny arrives at the final race weekend on the last day, immediately replacing the reserve driver without having participated in the qualifying session the day before. Teams are forbidden from making driver changes after qualifying has started.

Only people in the industry will be able to tell you if that kind of inter-team rivalries is common and so extreme (in modern racing), whether the politics are as cut-throat as a board selling an under-performing team from under the owner’s feet, whether Sonny Hayes’ workout routine is as good as Joshua’s.

The Podium and Debrief

I kind of wondered who had a more surreal experience on the final podium: two of the most talented and objectively attractive drivers (Charles Leclerc and George Russell) or the two incredibly talented Oscar-winning and still attractive actors (Brad Pitt and Javier Bardem) being christened with rose water by the drivers.

So, final verdict on the movie? I’d round my 7.5/10 stars to eight up because I’m an F1 and Brad Pitt fan. I will definitely watch it again, maybe even more than once. It’s engaging that even non-F1 fans will appreciate it.

My biggest criticism is the romantic plotline. Ford v Ferrari didn’t have anything as obvious, but it’s still a fantastic movie that I’ll also watch again.

The litmus test for how good the movie is will be what my friend and former racing driver (with Protea colours and a Le Mans entry under his belt) thinks about it. He’s already said he doesn’t feel the excitement I do. Maybe I’ll watch it again with him to see his reactions.

In the meantime, YOU should definitely go watch it. Then come back and tell me what you thought.