F1:The Movie is as Close as you can get to Racing in the Best Driver’s Seat.
★★★★☆
F1: The Movie - Image copyright (©) Warner Bros. Pictures or related entities. Used for publicity and promotional purposes.
(Includes Spoilers)
Formula 1 fan or not, there is no denying this Summer blockbuster will have you on the edge of your seat and chasing the thrill of racing in the fastest cars. Top Gun: Maverick’s director, Joseph Kosinski, a star-studded cast, and 7-time world champion, Sir Lewis Hamilton’s expertise have delivered an immersive experience that is a must-see in IMAX.
F1: The Movie focuses on the return of gambler and ex-racing driver Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) to Formula 1, who after striking a deal with his stylish old friend Ruben (Javier Bardem) joins his F1 team APXGP in hopes of turning fate around to save the team and steer his younger rookie teammate Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris) in the right direction. We quickly learn that the stakes are high and so are the egos as Pearce and Hayes go head-to-head, and their backgrounds unravel, including the traumatic crash that ended Hayes’ racing career decades ago.
F1: The movie reveals the many elements to being the best, and it doesn’t just start and end with the driver. The people behind every F1 team are just as integral when it comes to building the fastest car and carrying their driver through each race, which is a key and well-needed female representation for the industry. The team’s Technical Director Kate McKenna (Kerry Condon) leads strongly, yet it was quite diminishing to see her character’s plot turn into a romantic interest, a decision I am sure many females who work in male-dominated sectors would agree was disappointing. And with a Technical Director highly praised throughout the film, it appeared very whimsical for Hayes, who has not been in a Formula car in decades to have had better input for improving what was described as a “shitbox” of a race car. Kosinski seems to have fallen into a little fan pit of storytelling, where retired Mavericks get the girl and take the win, or in this case, finish in Pole Position.
Regardless, the Formula 1 thrill is undeniable in this blockbuster, and the details of the F1 world are as close as it gets to real life. Filming not only took place during the 2024 Grand Prix weekends, but Formula cars were used, and our fictional drivers did turn into real ones in the classic Kosinski style- and if you are a fan, you have probably also wondered: how did they pull it off?
Shifting the Gear Up: How was the F1:Movie filmed?
Still from F1: The Movie - Image copyright (©) Warner Bros. Pictures or related entities. Used for publicity and promotional purposes.
With Lewis Hamilton as the producer, there was no room for mistakes when it came to input on technicalities, focusing on incredible details such as the sounds of the turns. But it was also Mercedes AMG’s Chief Executive Officer, Toto Wolff, who helped influence how the movie was filmed. Wolff advised Kosinski to start with the cars and work the cameras into them. Production had bought 6 F2 Cars and worked with Mercedes AMG and Formula 1 team engineers to build them to carry the camera equipment. This turned into a new system in camera work, resulting in smaller IMAX cameras and adapting the equipment to not only work in harmony with the car but also reduce the weight by a quarter when rigging the equipment to keep the car driving fast. To go above and
This proved to be beyond successful as IMAX screens have been graced with ground-breaking sequences of F1: The Movie, including shots that show cameras being operated in the cars from a close-shot on Brad Pitt that pivots to show his POV of the lap ahead. A sequence that I would love to keep on replay.
F1: The Movie brings a perfect harmony of thrilling cinematography, sound, and a charming on-screen presence that is impossible to avoid rooting for, and a must-see on the biggest screen you can find.
References:
Formula 1: How the ‘F1’ movie filmed its thrilling car sequences – and the role that Toto Wolff played in the process (https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/how-the-apple-original-films-f1-movie-filmed-car-sequences.2le7vDxZDbdeZdGyhfGLHZ)
Formula 1: F1 EXPLAINS: How 'F1 The Movie' was made – with director Joseph Kosinski (https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/f1-explains-how-f1-the-movie-was-made-with-director-joseph-kosinski.2uaPicSZRTDSK1GoLMLBQ7)