Brad Pitt's F1 Nails the Racing Accuracy—But Not the Story

The film, directed by Top Gun: Maverick's Joseph Kosinski and written by Ehren Kruger, puts Pitt behind the wheel as Sonny Hayes, a former Formula 1 driver forced into early retirement after a crash. Years later, he's pulled back in to mentor rising star Joshua "Noah" Pearce and help revive a struggling team — the fictional Apex Grand Prix.

The hook? F1 was shot at actual Grand Prix events, including Silverstone and the 2023 British Grand Prix, using a modified Formula 2 car with a Formula 1-style aero package. Brad Pitt did his own driving — but only during non-competitive race weekends. Still, it's the closest thing to a full-speed movie F1 fans have ever seen.

Following its world premiere on June 16 in New York, F1 currently holds an 81% on Rotten Tomatoes, with only 8 out of 47 reviews going negative. Not bad for a film that isn't shy about geeking out over the sport.

Critics are split on the story, though. BBC's Nicholas Barber says it's "a collection of underdog sports-drama clichés." TheWrap calls it "so manly it can barely perform," and Slashfilm bluntly wishes it was just shorter. Most agree: the visuals are thrilling, but the plot's running on fumes.

But there's plenty of praise, too. Deadline says Pitt still has Cruise-level movie star power and praises the film's muscular spectacle.

Awards Radar calls it a "throwback summer blockbuster," while MovieWeb says it "succeeds in its primary goal: bringing the thrills of elite motorsport racing to the silver screen."

CBR puts it more bluntly: "It looks incredible, sounds incredible… the script just can't keep up."

And yes, it's not just a Brad Pitt fantasy camp. Real 2023 F1 stars appear in the movie — including Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz Jr., Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Fernando Alonso, Sergio Pérez, and more. Hamilton, who co-produced the film, shows up in scenes filmed during his time with Mercedes-AMG alongside George Russell.

Also spotted: Alpine's Gasly and Ocon, Alfa Romeo's Bottas and Zhou, Haas' Hulkenberg and Magnussen, AlphaTauri's Ricciardo, Tsunoda, and de Vries, plus Williams drivers Albon and Sargeant. Even racing personalities like Guenther Steiner, Benoît Tréluyer, and Sky Sports F1 commentators Martin Brundle and David Croft show up.

It's a full-throttle love letter to the sport — even if the story coasts on autopilot.

F1 hits theaters June 27.