F1: Is Brad Pitt Gearing Up To Offer One Of The Best Racing Films In Decades? Here’s What We Think

Brad Pitt leads the high-octane F1, blending real Grand Prix action with Oscar-worthy drama. Could this be the best racing movie since Ford v Ferrari?

- June 24, 2025 | 5:57 PM IST

A Still Of Brad Pitt From F1(Photo Credit –YouTube)

Brad Pitt is back in the driver’s seat (literally) in F1. Directed by Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick) and powered by a story co-created with Ehren Kruger, F1 is a full-throttle experience. With early critical acclaim and a projected $48–60M domestic opening (via BoxOfficepro), this film’s speeding into the awards lane.

Brad Pitt plays Sonny Hayes, a washed-up F1 racer turned cabbie with a sketchy past and more grit than polish. But when his old pal Ruben (Javier Bardem) calls him back to the track to mentor a hotshot rookie, Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), Hayes sees one last chance to prove he still belongs in the fast lane.

Kosinski + Zimmer + Practical F1? That’s A Win

Kosinski knows how to shoot speed. Just like Top Gun: Maverick, F1 whisks practical racing footage from real Grand Prix circuits with sleek, immersive visuals. The result: a cinematic rush. Hans Zimmer’s heart-thumping score does the rest, revving up the drama like a turbocharged engine.

The opening – Pitt plunges his face into an ice bath, slinks out of a van, and straps into a car mid-race as Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” explodes on the soundtrack. It’s vintage movie-star cool with a side of grease and danger.

Sure, it plays with formula, a grizzled vet, a cocky protege, and a team that needs saving. But Pitt gives Sonny that rusty charisma only he can pull off, while Idris brings charm to a role that admittedly feels underwritten. Kerry Condon adds spark as the team’s technical director, but the love-interest subplot’s more filler than fuel.

The film follows nine Grand Prix races but leans heavily on style over clarity. You feel the chaos more than the strategy, and key racing dynamics (soft tyres, pit timing) are often glossed over with announcer voiceovers. It’s visceral but not always coherent.

Still, F1 is a ride. It may not dissect the sport like Ford v Ferrari or thrill with the raw artistry of Ferrari, but it’s a crowd-pleasing rush. And with Brad Pitt leading the charge in one of his most magnetic roles in years, the Oscar buzz isn’t just pit-lane chatter. It’s legit.