Years ago, Netflix’s Drive to Survive introduced the world of Formula 1 to a wider audience, owing to the electrifying personalities of a few inside the league such as Daniel Ricciardo and Guenther Steiner. Now, the docuseries effect has significantly waned. It hasn’t helped that both Ricciardo and Steiner both left the league already. So, if a new piece of F1 media — say, a movie — were to come out, it needs two things: a charismatic hero and the ability to entice general audiences.

The new F1 the Movie has a tall task ahead of its premiere. How can it market the best of Formula 1 in a dramatized, fictional format?

What’s it about?

F1 the Movie stars Brad Pitt as an aging racer named Sonny Hayes. After a freak accident cuts his career in Formula 1 to an abrupt halt, Hayes chases after the thrill of racing by driving in other forms such as the Daytona and the Baja. However, thirty years after the accident, his former teammate and now-owner of an F1 team Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem) asks Hayes to come back to F1 and save Expensify APX GP by winning a race in a terrible car.

The quest for the team’s (and Haye’s) first win faces opposition when rookie teammate Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris) butts heads with Hayes in a bid to keep his seat for the next season. When the team’s technical director Kate McKenna (Kerry Condon) initially refuses to design a better car for Hayes, the team faces a potential implosion before its investors can even pull the plug themselves.

Mixing F1 with drama and thrills

The rivalry between an older veteran and a talented rookie should feel familiar to those who’ve watched blockbuster sports movies before. Though the plot doesn’t reinvent the wheel, it makes for great viewing especially in the context of Formula 1. Yes, some of the plot’s beats are certainly predictable. Obviously, Hayes’s old ways clash perilously with Pearce’s modern approach. Obviously, one will see the benefit of the other’s methods, and vice versa.

You can see the twists coming from a kilometer away, but that hardly matters. It’s a fun popcorn movie that showcases the sport in a way that it hasn’t been before. Races feel much more intense and personal with cameras following drivers into the cockpit and turning smoothly to show cars behind. The best part is that it’s done without inducing vertigo. Every bit of action is easy to follow despite how fast the cars are going.

The Formula 1 production team should take pointers from this movie. I’d love to watch races in the movie’s cinematic style.

With that in mind, F1 the Movie fulfills its purpose of presenting the sport in an accessible but engaging way for those unfamiliar with motorsports. If you don’t know much about Formula 1, this movie is a good gateway drug.

Creativity in exchange for authenticity

However, emphasizing drama will always risk authenticity. As a Formula 1 fan myself, I can see bits and pieces where the film’s writers took massive creative liberties to heighten the drama.

For example, Hayes’s racecraft can be described as remarkably unorthodox. In one race, he intentionally rams into other drivers to give his team an advantage. The film portrays this strategy as a crafty one, and it does lead to success.

However, in reality, this craftiness just can’t fly. In modern Formula 1, hitting another driver, intentionally or accidentally, often leads to penalties or outright disqualification. Multiple crashes in a single race is just an impossibility. Never mind that it can bankrupt a struggling team even further, or that Pitt’s lack of gargantuan neck muscles will probably lead to severe injuries.

Despite the creativity, the film does have its basis in reality. It’s not all technobabble or a magical “Jesus, take the wheel” approach. When the team talks about car design, they refer correctly to aerodynamics and downforce. When Hayes talks strategy before a race, he accurately calls out tire compounds. The film makes an effort to ground its more creative decisions in some reality, owing perhaps to Sir Lewis Hamilton’s involvement as an executive producer.

How can you enjoy F1 the Movie as an F1 fan?

F1 the Movie is a tough film to place. Though the film is excellent for those unfamiliar with the world of Formula 1, the enjoyment of motorsports fans will likely depend on their expectations going into the cinema.

If you go into F1 the Movie expecting a grounded thriller like Rush or Ford v Ferrari, then you’re going to leave disappointed. Heck, Drive to Survive fans might not be happy either. The film is really meant for general audiences who want to get into Formula 1 from scratch.

If you already have this in mind, then the movie should be a treat. Personally, I found it better to enjoy the film as a potential story mode campaign for F1 25 or a turn-your-brain-off popcorn movie with Formula 1 cameos peppered in (and the film has those aplenty).

F1 the Movie is out now in Philippine cinemas.