F1: The Movie has already been reviewed by Formula 1's drivers, and now critics are weighing in. Even looking beyond the "please quote me" reactions below, there's enough praise here to safely say that filmgoers are in for a fun ride at the theaters later this month.
It's worth pointing out that nearly everyone here seems to be new to Formula 1, so what fans will make of what looks to be an expectedly Hollywood-ized approach to the sport remains to be seen.
However, while Formula 1 has a massive fanbase, it appears the idea with F1: The Movie is to create new fans, similar to Netflix's popular Drive to Survive docuseries (which typically plays fast and loose with what really takes place on track).
The biggest takeaway from these reactions has to be the comparisons to Top Gun: Maverick, filmmaker Joseph Kosinski's last movie. That received rave reviews and grossed just shy of $1.5 billion worldwide, so if he's recaptured that same magic with race cars, then we're likely in store for something special here.
While we'd recommend waiting for the reviews, all signs point to F1: The Movie exceeding expectations in a big way. Even with Jurassic World Rebirth, Superman, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps on the way, that may help it become one of 2025's biggest movies by the time the chequered flag is waved on this year.
Dubbed "the greatest that never was," Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) was Formula 1's most promising phenom of the 1990s until an accident on the track nearly ended his career. Thirty years later, he’s a nomadic racer-for-hire when he’s approached by his former teammate Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem), owner of a struggling Formula 1 team that is on the verge of collapse.
Ruben convinces Sonny to come back to Formula 1 for one last shot at saving the team and being the best in the world. He’ll drive alongside Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), the team's hotshot rookie, intent on setting his own pace. But as the engines roar, Sonny’s past catches up with him and he finds that in Formula 1, your teammate is your fiercest competition—and the road to redemption is not something you can travel alone.
Joseph Kosinski directs from a screenplay by Ehren Kruger. The film is executive-produced by Daniel Lupi. Collaborating with Kosinski behind the scenes are his creative team, including director of photography Claudio Miranda, production designers Mark Tildesley and Ben Munro, editor Stephen Mirrione, costume designer Julian Day, casting director Lucy Bevan and composer Hans Zimmer.
F1 arrives in UK cinemas on June 25 and races into U.S. theaters on June 27.