F1: The Movie, on Apple TV+

It must have been bizarrely ironic for Lewis Hamilton to see the Sphere emblazoned with the likeness of Brad Pitt in the Formula 1 racing film he produced and appeared in, as he sped through the course of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, unable to advance past the first qualifier. His Hollywood foray should have been the cherry atop the 2025 season, but instead it was the only real highlight of a frustrating year. Fortunately, everybody likes a comeback story, like that of Pitt’s character, Sonny Hayes. His first Formula 1 stint ended poorly. Since then, Hayes raced anything with four wheels, often with great success. The world of Formula 1 is less than thrilled to have him back, but for the APXGP team owner, desperate times call for desperate measures, and hiring Hayes definitely qualifies as that in Josph Krosinski’s F1: The Movie, which premieres Friday on Apple TV+.

To be fair, Hayes just helped his team win the 24 Hours of Daytona. Frankly, he wins quite regularly, but not in Formula 1. However, at this point, that is good enough for his old crony, APXGP team owner Reuben Cervantes. If his drivers do not start scoring some points, his board will shutter the operation.

Of course, Kate McKenna, the team’s technical guru is skeptical. She also resents Hayes smug confidence, so obviously we know they’re eventually getting together. That skepticism goes double for Joshua Pearce, the team’s entitled rookie, who rightly considers his position threatened by a driver who might be even older than Gen X. Nevertheless, he still looks good, as McKenna might grudgingly admit.

The next few races will be rocky, but Hayes will be Hayes. He will even scratch out some points through guile and sheer audacity. As a result, McKenna starts taking his feedback under serious consideration. Unfortunately, snake-in-the-grass board member Peter Banning sabotages their efforts, to assume control of the team.

Reportedly, Tom Cruise commenced development on a Days of Thunder sequel, but it is hard to understand why he would bother after the release of F1. Basically, Kosinski (the director of Top Gun: Maverick) just served up Brad Pitt as the Maverick of race-car drivers. Frankly, the sound and visuals are comparable to that of the Top Gun sequel—and at this point in their careers, Pitt has the greater screen charisma.

Arguably, in F1, Pitt is both a movie star and an actor. He just commands the screen. Pitt has several years on Kerry Condon, who plays McKenna, but at least she is still a grown-up, which makes their romance rather appealingly. As Pearce, Damson also brings the kind of cocky youthful energy to the film that we used to expect from Cruise. Tobias Menzies was not an obvious casting choice for Banning, but he is entertainingly sleazy.

Pitt, Kosinski, and company easily power through all the predictable APXGP team melodrama. They had help from Lewis and other real-life Formula 1 drivers, including Max Verstappen, who won the Las Vegas Grand Prix and George Russell, who thought he took third. Instead, he was bumped up to second with the disqualification of Lando Norris, who also appears in the scenes filmed on-location amid actual FIA Formula 1 races. Highly recommended for fans of Pitt, Formula 1, and old-fashioned blockbuster filmmaking, F1: The Movie starts streaming Friday (12/12) on Apple TV+.