F1 (2025) Parents Guide

F1 The Movie is Rated PG-13 by Motion Picture Rating (MPA) for strong language, and action

F1 The Movie Review

Ever wondered what it’s like to sit in the cockpit at 180 mph… and feel every heartbeat in sync with the engine?

That’s the thrill ride F1 The Movie, directed by Top Gun: Maverick maestro Joseph Kosinski, starring Brad Pitt as Sonny Hayes—a once-brilliant F1 phenom whose career derailed after a massive crash in the ’90s. Now, three decades later, he’s coaxed out of retirement by his old teammate Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem) to rescue their struggling team, APXGP, and mentor hot-shot rookie Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris)

The Story & What It Tries to Say

The story follows Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt), a former F1 prodigy who walked away from the sport decades ago after a catastrophic crash that cost him not just his career, but something deeper—his confidence, his sense of self. The world has moved on. He hasn’t.

Now in his late 50s, Sonny is lured back onto the track by his old teammate and now-team-owner Ruben Cervantes (played with gritty elegance by Javier Bardem). Cervantes is desperate to save his struggling team, APXGP, from complete collapse. But it’s not just a PR stunt—he sees something in Sonny. A fire. A ghost that needs exorcising.

The twist? Sonny isn’t coming back as the lead. He’s here to mentor rising star Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), a brilliant but impulsive young driver whose raw talent threatens to outpace his maturity. What starts as a reluctant mentorship slowly evolves into something more powerful—two men from different eras of racing confronting the pressures of greatness, the ghosts of failure, and the unforgiving clock of time.

What F1: The Movie really tries to say is this: Legacy isn’t just what you leave behind—it’s what you reclaim. It explores aging not with pity but with power, asking whether wisdom can still cut through the noise in a world obsessed with youth and speed. There’s a subtle elegy to the sacrifices behind glory, and a clear-eyed honesty about the toll of obsession. And somehow, in the din of turbo engines and pit-lane chaos, it finds moments of surprising quiet—where grief, pride, and connection all meet.

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Performances & Characters

Brad Pitt carries the film with a quiet magnetism that only an actor of his caliber could deliver. Sonny Hayes is not a caricature of the aging hero—he’s layered, guarded, and at times, surprisingly self-aware. Pitt plays him like a man constantly negotiating with regret, but still capable of breathtaking courage. It’s one of his most human performances in years.

Damson Idris is equally strong as Joshua Pearce. He brings fire, bravado, and just the right amount of emotional volatility. There’s a scene—no spoilers—where Pearce confronts Sonny about the weight of expectation, and the tension crackles. Their mentor-mentee arc doesn’t fall into cliché. It’s uncomfortable, honest, and rewarding.

Javier Bardem brings depth to what could’ve been a stock “team boss” role. He’s worn down by years in the sport but still burns with competitive spirit. Kerry Condon, as the team’s chief engineer Kate, is phenomenal. She’s sharp, exhausted, and deeply passionate about what she does. The way she holds the emotional balance of the pit crew is worth its own subplot.

Even supporting roles, including brief cameos by real F1 drivers and team principals, feel organic. This isn’t a film where actors play drivers—it’s a world where characters live and bleed speed.

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Joseph Kosinski understands movement—and in F1, he outdoes himself. The action is captured using real on-track footage shot during live F1 race weekends. This means the speed is real, the stakes are palpable, and the camera angles—mounted directly onto custom-built F1 cars—pull you right into the cockpit.

Claudio Miranda’s cinematography is breathless. Tight cockpit shots transition fluidly into wide aerials of hairpin turns in Monaco or the sweeping straights of Silverstone. The sound design is thunderous—every gear shift, every tire lock, every subtle gasp of air feels tactile.

The pacing is relentless, but not overwhelming. Kosinski finds space between races to breathe—moments in quiet garages, or late-night monologues under the hum of fluorescent pit lights. The film doesn’t slow down; it shifts—just like a skilled driver adjusting to the track conditions.

And then there’s Hans Zimmer’s score. Pulsing synths meet classical strings in a way that feels both futuristic and nostalgic. It’s one of his most kinetic soundtracks in years.

As a racing movie, F1 stands tall alongside the best—think Rush, Ford v Ferrari, and even Senna. But what sets it apart is its visceral authenticity. Kosinski and his team worked hand-in-glove with the actual F1 circus. That authenticity pays off.

The crashes are bone-rattling, not just visually but emotionally. You don’t feel like a spectator—you feel like a participant. When Sonny gets back behind the wheel for the first time, the tension is unbearable. Every swerve, every slip of the tire carries the weight of consequence.

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The technical detail is rich but accessible. Even if you’ve never watched a Grand Prix, the film gives you just enough to grasp the strategy, the stakes, the nuance. And for F1 fans? It’s a love letter—complete with cameos, trackside references, and that unique culture of controlled chaos.

F1 The Movie (2025) Parents Guide

Violence & Intensity: No shootouts, no fistfights—but the intensity is real. This is a movie about Formula One, and the crashes, while not gory, are jarringly realistic. One accident in particular is filmed with such emotional weight and technical authenticity that it might unsettle younger viewers. There’s twisted metal, loud impacts, and that awful kind of silence that follows a crash before anyone speaks.

The movie doesn’t glorify danger—it respects it. But it does show how brutal the sport can be, both physically and psychologically. If you’ve got a younger viewer sensitive to anxiety or on-screen peril, just be aware: it’s tense, and it earns every second of that tension.

Drugs & Alcohol: There are brief scenes of drinking—mostly champagne in celebratory moments or a casual drink at dinner. No drug use, no partying. Nothing excessive or glamorized. It feels authentic to the world these characters live in, not indulgent.

Sexual Content: There’s no nudity, no sex scenes, and nothing steamy. That said, the film does briefly hint at adult relationships. There’s a flirtatious conversation between Sonny (Brad Pitt) and a woman at a team event—think subtle, not salacious. Another scene shows a couple kissing in a hotel hallway, implied to be headed upstairs together. Nothing is shown beyond that.

It’s handled tastefully, more mature than suggestive. This isn’t a film that lingers on bodies or relationships—it’s more focused on legacy, rivalry, and the love of the sport. Still, if you’re screening for content like this, just know there are mild moments of implied intimacy, but nothing explicit.

So… Is It Kid-Friendly? Age Recommendation: 13+ (mature tweens with an interest in racing or drama might handle it well, but it’s best for teens and up).

Final Thoughts & Recommendation

F1: The Movie is many things—it’s a pulse-pounding sports drama, a portrait of redemption, a mentorship story, and a showcase of cinematic craft. But more than anything, it’s a film with a soul. It knows when to go full throttle and when to ease off the gas to let you feel something deeper.

Is it perfect? No. Some of the emotional beats are a bit telegraphed. There’s a mid-act subplot involving media frenzy that feels undercooked. But those are minor gripes in a film that otherwise races ahead of expectations.

F1 The Movie Details