F1 the Movie Is a Perfect Brad Pitt Vehicle

In Joseph Kosinki’s thrilling movie, F1, there’s a familiar theme that doesn’t relate to the technicalities of Formula One racing rules. The concept of an older character, be it an athlete, criminal, or cowboy, who still has one significant opportunity left, traces back at least as far as Sam Peckinpah’s 1969 western, The Wild Bunch. It might seem unfair that aging actresses often get relegated to less glamorous and passive roles, but there’s a certain poignancy in stories about an older man reaching for one final, desperate chance at a grand heist, a high-stakes bounty, or a symbolic prize. Although their egos remain as large as ever, their bodies are betraying them in ways they never anticipated when they were 20. These roles serve as rewarding consolation prizes for male actors transitioning out of traditional leading-man roles; sometimes, they represent an actor’s finest work.

Transforming an antiquated and biased hair product ad slogan for women, we could say Brad Pitt isn’t aging; he’s improving with time. In the world of F1, he portrays a weathered, nomadic driver who travels from town to town in a customized van, equipped with basic amenities like a bed, a bookshelf, and exercise gear. He’s always ready for action whenever someone needs a quick replacement driver for a fast car. This lifestyle doesn’t seem promising for financial stability. As the story unfolds, we see Sonny Hayes, a character name that suits an almost-retired racer perfectly, preparing for his first race in a small town, where he earns only $5,000. He’s like a vibrant wildflower bouquet of raw emotions: performing last-minute pull-ups, dipping his face into a tiny ice water basin, and carrying a lucky playing card in his jumpsuit pocket before hopping into the cockpit and winning. Sonny Hayes is a character on the brink of retirement, a perfect name for an almost-forgotten racer. After cashing his meager check, he drives off towards the sunset (or more accurately, to the laundromat), where his long-lost friend Javier Bardem’s Ruben Cervantes eventually tracks him down after a long search. Ruben tries to persuade Sonny for one last…well, you can guess the rest.

It’s revealed that Sonny was a legendary racer in the ’90s, destined for greatness, but met an unfortunate end in a crash that came close to claiming his life. Since then, he’s been a laid-back yet anxious individual, traveling from race to race inconspicuously. Ruben, Sonny’s former racing partner, now heads a struggling F1 team called APXGP (nicknamed Apex). Despite initially refusing Ruben’s pleas, Sonny eventually relents and shows up for training in London looking disheveled, with unkempt hair, wrinkled clothes, and a messenger bag. Beneath his cool exterior, he’s also under immense stress. In contrast to Sonny, Joshua Pearce (played by Damson Idris) is the energetic newcomer who isn’t impressed by Sonny’s age. He later complains to his mother about this older teammate of his, stating that he appears to be “really old, like 80.

It’s clear that there will be frequent conflicts between these two characters, possibly excessively so. Recently, Kosinski directed the film “Top Gun: Maverick” (2022), where he and Ehren Kruger penned a script that has the mature Sonny and youthful Joshua engaging in prolonged spats. However, this generational strife is merely a pretext for an abundance of thrilling car races. As someone who hasn’t driven since passing my driver’s test in 1986, I find racing movies captivating. In “F1,” as I watched Sonny skillfully maneuver through the challenging curves of a track like a virtuoso violinist navigating a complex movement, I jotted down, “It must feel like flying.” Although the comparison is predictable, it eventually becomes integral to the plot. The F1 Grands Prix races take place in luxurious global locations such as Abu Dhabi, Monza, and Las Vegas, and Kosinski and his team were granted permission to film during actual events, only during downtime. This contributes to the movie‘s sense of excitement and enjoyment. Both Idris and Pitt perform their own driving stunts, reaching speeds of up to 180 mph (professionals can reach 220 mph). If they make racing look exhilarating and awe-inspiring, they also portray how mentally taxing it must be. The crashes depicted in the movie are frighteningly realistic, combining the sounds of screeching tires and seemingly uncontainable flames. It’s no surprise that Sonny has so many superstitious routines.

The movie F1 is produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, known for his high-octane action films like Con Air, Armageddon, and both Top Gun movies, but also for more diverse projects such as Paul Schrader’s Cat People, the political drama Veronica Guerin, and the comedic spoof Young Doctors in Love. This film not only has Bruckheimer’s signature glossy, noisy style, but it also benefits from expert contributions. Lewis Hamilton, a Formula One racing champion, served as an adviser and producer on the project, and even made a cameo appearance. The cast is strong too, with Idris Elba portraying a cocky young driver convincingly. Kerry Condon plays the fictional first female tech director for the team, based in the English countryside. She commutes by bike to work, explaining that her job involves understanding wind, so it’s helpful to feel it.

Essentially, Pitt truly embodies the role. His face carries a rugged wisdom, etched with tales of errors and remorse. Interestingly, F1 doesn’t shy away from the enigmatic allure of racers’ equipment: the fire-resistant jumpsuits, soft driving shoes, oversized helmets that make them appear slender and attractive, much like Daft Punk. Racecar driving may be seductive and glamorous, but Pitt’s character Sonny reveals a different angle – the struggle of a dream nearing its end. We desperately want him to win that last race. This narrative trope is familiar, yet it never grows tiresome. It all comes down to the actor’s ability to resonate with universal feelings of aging men, including the acceptance that one’s greatest accomplishments might be in the past. At 61, Brad Pitt has found roles that perfectly suit his maturity, and at times, they are a career-defining blessing.

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2025-06-17 21:06