I scoffed at Apple F1 assuming the film will be a cynical exercise in brand building since its announcement. Given the close involvement of the sport’s governing body, its stars and teams, it’s like a two-hour commercial. But the trailer of the movie bothered me because it could actually be very good. Oh no.
F1 (F1 excellent) was co-produced by Lewis Hamilton, who promised to make it the most realistic racing film ever made. It follows Sonny Hayes, who is hired to mentor Damson Idris’ hot new prospect Joshua Pierce after Brad Pitt retires. The final sequence in the teaser, all the roaring engines and heavy breathing as the car lurches down the track, is enough to make me think it needs to be seen in IMAX.
There’s still time for things to go wrong, and you can’t make a gritty sports movie in all environments. After all, even the smallest team is a multi-million dollar outfit with millionaire drivers behind the wheel of each car. Given the years-long homologation process, you won’t be able to scratch your car out of the ordinary to make it stand out from the crowd.
But I have to hope that any movie featuring Guenther Steiner (former Haas F1 team principal and living meme) in a reaction shot can’t be bad.
