You've seen racing movies before. Usually, they’re a bit cheesy, with gear shifts that look like they’re launching a space shuttle and physics that make Newton roll in his grave. But the new F1 The Movie is trying something different. Like, actually different.
Honestly, the buzz around the paddock for the last two years wasn't just about Max Verstappen’s dominance or whether Ferrari would mess up another pit stop. It was about the black-and-gold APXGP cars sitting in the garages next to the real teams. People were confused. Was there an 11th team? Nope. It was just Brad Pitt and Joseph Kosinski trying to do for open-wheel racing what they did for fighter jets in Top Gun: Maverick.
What Most People Get Wrong About F1 The Movie
There’s this common misconception that this is a documentary or a "Drive to Survive" spin-off. It’s not. It’s a high-stakes drama that leans heavily on the "old lion vs. young wolf" trope, but with a level of technical realism that we haven't seen since Frankenheimer’s Grand Prix back in the 60s.
Brad Pitt plays Sonny Hayes. He’s a guy who walked away from the sport in the 90s after a massive, career-ending shunt. He’s been out of the game for thirty years. Suddenly, his old friend Ruben—played by the ever-intense Javier Bardem—calls him up. Ruben owns APXGP, a fictional team that basically sucks. They’re at the back of the grid, they have no points, and they have a young, arrogant phenom named Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris) who needs a reality check.
The Lewis Hamilton Factor
You can’t talk about F1 The Movie without mentioning Sir Lewis Hamilton. He didn't just slap his name on the credits as an executive producer for clout. He was in the weeds with the script. Apparently, he spent hours making sure the dialogue didn't sound like "movie talk." If a driver wouldn't say it in the cockpit, it didn't make the cut.
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Hamilton even took the actors out on track. Imagine having a seven-time world champion as your driving instructor. That’s exactly what happened at Silverstone. He wanted the audience to feel the G-forces, the vibration, and the sheer claustrophobia of a modern cockpit.
How They Actually Filmed It
The coolest part? Those cars weren't CGI. Well, mostly.
They used modified Formula 2 chassis that were "skinned" to look like current-spec F1 cars. Mercedes-AMG helped design the bodywork. They even had custom-built camera rigs. Joseph Kosinski worked with Sony to develop a camera system that was a quarter of the size of the ones used in Top Gun.
- 15 cameras were mounted on each car.
- The actors actually drove during Grand Prix weekends.
- The footage was shot at iconic tracks like Spa, Monza, and the Las Vegas Strip.
- They used an RF network to control camera pans and focus in real-time while the cars were doing 200 mph.
It’s kinda insane when you think about the logistics. They were filming in between actual practice sessions. One mistake and you’re holding up the entire Formula 1 schedule.
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The Cast and The Drama
While the cars are the stars for the gearheads, the human element is what kept the box office numbers climbing after its June 2025 release.
Kerry Condon plays the technical director, and she’s basically the glue holding the fictional APXGP together. She brings a grounded, exhausted energy that anyone who works in sports will recognize. Then you’ve got Tobias Menzies playing a corporate board member who just wants to sell the team. It’s the classic battle: the racers who love the sport vs. the suits who love the money.
Why the Ending Hits Different
Without spoiling too much, the movie doesn't go for the "Disney" ending. It’s gritty. It acknowledges that F1 is a cruel sport. You can do everything right and still have an engine blow up on the last lap. The relationship between Hayes and Pearce evolves from mutual hatred to a weird, begrudging respect that feels earned.
The film premiered at Radio City Music Hall and then hit IMAX screens globally. It eventually landed on Apple TV+ in December 2025. If you haven't seen it on a big screen yet, you're missing out on the sound design alone—the scream of those hybrid V6s is enough to rattle your teeth.
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Is It Worth the Hype?
Short answer: yeah. Long answer: it depends on what you want. If you want a deep dive into the politics of the FIA, go watch a documentary. But if you want to feel what it's like to take Eau Rouge flat-out with nineteen other cars screaming around you, F1 The Movie is the gold standard.
It’s become the highest-grossing sports film of all time for a reason. It captures the "circus" aspect of the sport—the glamour of Vegas, the history of Silverstone, and the sheer terror of a wet race.
Next Steps for the Fans
If you've already seen the film, the best way to dive deeper is to check out the "Making Of" featurettes on Apple TV+. They show the actual training Brad Pitt and Damson Idris went through. You can also look up the APXGP livery in the official F1 24 and F1 25 video games if you want to drive the car yourself. Finally, keep an eye on the 2026 season—the "Hamilton effect" on this production has permanently changed how the sport is broadcast, with more on-board camera angles being integrated into the live feeds than ever before.