F1: The Movie Races to the Box Office, Driven By Authenticity

F1: The Movie, an action-packed film about former rising star Sonny Hayes’s return to Formula One racing, was released in theaters on June 27. The film’s authenticity to the real-life sport separates it from other movies about F1 racing. 

Directed by Joseph Kosinski of “Top Gun: Maverick,” the film stars Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Javier Bardem and Kerry Condon. In a behind-the-scenes video, Kosinski said he “wanted to capture the most authentic racing film ever…Authenticity was the goal with this film.” Kosinski and Cinematographer Claudio Miranda used a variety of techniques to make the movie realistic.

Their efforts to immerse audiences began with the car. According to ESPN, for a racing movie to feel authentic, the cars must look and act like real racecars. To achieve this, the F1 team collaborated closely with Mercedes-AMG, a racing vehicle manufacturer. Porsche also provided GT3R cars, which are used in the Daytona 24-hour race, for the film. One of the challenges that filmmakers faced was capturing cars that broke 200 mph. 

Unlike in “Top Gun: Maverick,” where large cameras could be mounted on the fighter jets, the F1 team worked with racecars that could only accommodate smaller cameras, which produced lower-resolution images. To overcome these limitations, movie engineers and Mercedes-AMG developed a car that could accommodate filming equipment, adding cavities under the radiator where they could place the camera and recording equipment. 

Kosinski and Miranda also developed lightweight filmic camera packages that could capture high-resolution footage specifically for the film. At any given moment, there were roughly 16 cameras hidden in and on the car, allowing for unique camera angles. 

Camera model and position, however, were not the only challenges filmmakers faced. Since the cars were moving at speeds up to 180 miles per hour, the cinematography team had to account for intense vibrations. To work around this, they utilized vibration-isolation settings.

To add even more authenticity to the film, Pitt and Idris drove on Formula One tracks. A stunt coordinator was never in control of the car; Pitt and Idris were always the ones driving. 

Patrick Long, a factory works race driver for Porsche who won the Daytona 24-hour in 2009, worked closely with the actors for training. He taught them how to use the GT3R cars for the Daytona 24-hour race scene at the start of the movie. 

Porsche contributed the services of the Wright Motorsports team, a Porsche race team that was rebranded as the Chip Heart race team for the film. Porsche also supported the filming and maintained safety during the Daytona race scene, in which Long also assisted. Kosinski, the director, thanked Long by giving him a cameo in the film as Hayes’ co-driver in the 24-hour race. 

The characters were the final element that Kosinski thought critically about to create the most authentic Formula One movie possible. Kosinski diligently developed Hayes’ character to have a convincing introduction to the audience. Otherwise, he said, it would seem inconceivable that Hayes could be a successful Formula One driver in his older age. 

Therefore, because endurance is a crucial component of success in Formula One driving, Kosinski began the movie with Hayes competing in the Daytona 24-hour, an intense endurance race.

Overall, there are some aspects of F1: The Movie that seem too similar to Kosinski’s previous project, “Top Gun: Maverick,” including Hayes’ similarity to Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. 

However, Kosinski’s attention to detail and creativity show that he was not trying to recreate a prior success. He truly desired to make this film as believable as possible. He and the film crew went the extra mile, designing a new Formula One car, developing new lightweight cameras and thoughtfully developing Hayes’ character. All of this work comes together in a thrilling big-screen movie that transports audiences directly into the driver’s seat.