Formula 1 and everything surrounding it is not something I have ever really understood. Many people, who are not within its world, dismiss the sport as cars ‘just going around a track’ and while I do often say this as a joke, I can at least appreciate there is a lot going on behind the scenes that I am unaware of. Many people do not understand the danger of the sport and the brutal conditioning that these drivers go through just to race their car around the track. One film that really hammered this home for me was John Frankenheimer’s Grand Prix (1966). That was a film focused on the drivers and their stories for why they are doing it. They love the fame and the money, but when it comes down to it, the release and thrill is what they crave. For some in that film, it comes to be their undoing, further emphasising the danger the racers put themselves through every single time they get on the track. F1 The Movie is a film incredibly reminiscent of Frankenheimer’s racing classic, almost 60 years later. It fits the sports film formula like a glove and often some of the character drama can be a bit stale, but when those cars are ‘just going around a track’, the thrill is simply immeasurable.

F1 The Movie follows Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt), an ex-F1 driver who has become a bit of a nomad. He lives in his van and drives across America to any racing he can do. We first see him competing in the 24 hours of Daytona race and his victory there proves that he has still got it. His gambling addiction has got him in a bad spot and he pretty much just lives from race to race. However, his ex-teamate Ruben (Javier Bardem), now owner of the APXGP F1 team ambushes him on his travels. He is in a tough spot and will lose his job if his team cannot win a race in that season. Knowing Sonny’s prowess back in the day first hand, Ruben begs him to come back and help him save his career. Sonny agrees and it takes him to London to meet the rest of the team, where he meets rookie Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris). They locks horns due to their massive egos and it becomes clear that APXGP’s chances of winning are slim, for the fact Hayes and Pearce cannot work together. Still, they must find a way to make it work or the entire team will completely fall apart.

As mentioned, this is very much a typically formulaic sports film. There is the typical archetypal characters, like the veteran and the rookie of the sport. Structurally, it is very predictable with the high moments of the team proving the doubters wrong to then have those incredibly low moments where everything seems lost. If you have seen a sports film, the likelihood is that nothing in this film, narratively, will really surprise you. That being said, it does still just work well. It is a set formula for a reason after all and beat for beat, it hits everything quite well. The characters are archetypal but they are still written with care and attention. Sonny is your typical veteran like character, saying that he does not want to go back, but he realises the high he has been chasing, by going race to race, can only be achieved by diving back into Formula 1. There is a lovely scene where he talks about a feeling he felt back in his career where he felt he was flying and he would do anything to get that back. Like any sportsman, they live for the sport and it is pure passion for that sport that spurs them on every day. Again, it is a typical theme that has been done before, but it still works. The whole plot of Pearce and Hayes being massive egomaniacs and having to work together is another generic idea. But because it is so at the forefront of the narrative, the script gives it a lot of attention to make it work gradually. None of it feels rushed and their relationship is definitely at the centre of it all. The payoffs of all these generic ideas are all still satisfying, which goes to show that even if the idea itself is generic, the execution is good enough for it to work.

Part of making this character drama succeed has to come from the performances, and with a cast this stacked, it was never a doubt. What can be said about Brad Pitt that has not already been said? Whatever you may think about him as a person, the man is a movie star through and through. His charisma is jumping off the screen and he is just a joy to watch. Damson Idris, as practically the co-lead, is not outshone, by any means. Even with some awkward deliveries, more down the script than anything, he is great and has a lot of range in this performance. There are points where he goes through some very tough times and Idris sells that conflict of wanting so desperately to be great but he is just not quite there yet, and he knows it. The supporting performances are all good too with Javier Bardem going toe to toe on charisma with Pitt and then Kerry Condon being as loveable and sassy as ever. It is a great collection of performances and they pull off the more predictable character drama to then elevate it further.

Of course, nobody is coming to this film for the character drama. They want some very fast cars in some thrilling races that get the blood pumping. On this front, they massively succeed. This is an excellent example of huge budget blockbuster filmmaking done well. Money has certainly not gone to waste with many of the film’s reshoots because you can barely tell there has been any. Everything flows and builds up so well during these race scenes and the climaxes of them are the icing on the cake. With how exceptionally they are shot and edited, to Hans Zimmer’s wonderful score accentuating the danger and the thrill, all these races are thoroughly entertaining all the way through to the points of flying victory or brutal collapse. The final race in particular is such an enthralling sequence as it brings everything together. All the character drama has been building suitably and sufficiently to the point of needing to be round off in a satisfying way. Similarly, you as the audience are, no doubt, craving another one of these sequences at this point and, my word, does it deliver. As someone who does not know about F1 much, I am not sure how realistic any of it may be. But frankly, it does not matter if it looks and feels as good as it does to watch.

F1 The Movie is your typical sports film in many ways but in others, it is just a fantastic blockbuster experience. Plot threads you have seen before and themes that have been exhausted in this type of film are overridden by some of its finer aspects. The great performances and truly spectacular racing sequences make the thrill and enjoyment of the film just infectious. It does not completely succeed in its sometimes awkward script but as soon as those cars are speedign round the track, you will be hooked instantly. It does not quite make me want to get into Formula 1 itself, but it certainly makes me appreciate it a bit more. Even if you are not a fan usually, give this a go and you will probably find something you like.