F1
A washed-up F1 prodigy returns to racing thirty years after a career-ending crash, proving that second chances—and vintage cool—still exist in a sport obsessed with youth.
Overview
Joseph Kosinski reunites with his Top Gun: Maverick producer Jerry Bruckheimer for this Formula 1 drama shot on location at actual Grand Prix events over two years. Brad Pitt plays Sonny Hayes, "the greatest that never was"—a 1990s phenom whose career ended in a track accident. Thirty years later, former teammate Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem) convinces him to join his struggling team and mentor hotshot rookie Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris).
Seven-time F1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton produced the film and ensured authenticity: Pitt trained for five months and drove at Silverstone, the team shot during real races, and Kosinski minimized CGI to capture the sport's visceral intensity.
Key Themes
- Second chances — Hayes returns not for glory but to save a friend's team, finding redemption through mentorship rather than victory
- Generational tension — The film explores friction between veteran experience and youthful aggression through the Hayes-Pearce dynamic
- Authenticity in spectacle — Like Top Gun: Maverick, the film prioritizes practical effects and real environments over digital fabrication
Why It Matters
F1 became the highest-grossing Brad Pitt film in history, surpassing World War Z's $540 million run. The collaboration between Hollywood and Formula 1's governing body—granting access to all ten teams, drivers, and the FIA—sets a precedent for sports filmmaking. Kosinski continues proving that blockbusters can deliver both spectacle and craftsmanship.