F1 Movie reviews: Drivers CRINGE, Critics BINGE

F1 Movie

F1 Movie reviews: Drivers CRINGE, Critics BINGE

Lots of first impressions are rolling in

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Tuesday 17 June 2025 16:59 Updated: 12:39

First thoughts on the new F1 movie have been rolling in, with critics and drivers seemingly split on the film.

Brad Pitt and Damson Idris star in the new blockbuster film, which was shot at a variety of locations across the F1 calendar over the past couple of seasons, with producer Lewis Hamilton said to be 'calling bull****' on certain aspects of the film to maintain a real-life F1 feel.

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While fans in the UK will not be able to see the film until it is released in cinemas on June 25, drivers and reviewers were able to have a first watch at an exclusive premiere earlier this week in New York, with mixed reviews coming in from both sectors.

Film critics appeared to love the movie on the whole, with it getting a plethora of well wishes by a host of important personnel in that sector.

Variety's Jazz Tangcay tweeted after a screening: "WOW! [The F1 movie] is an action-packed thrilling look at the world of F1 racing, with lots of grit. The sound, score and cinematography are flawless. Damson Idris and Brad Pitt are great! Absolutely Obsessed."

Meanwhile, the magazine's awards editor Clayton Davis added: "F1 the Movie is the Jerry and Joe Show! Bruckheimer and Kosinski really do make audacious entertainment together. Academy...don't do Claudio Miranda dirty again on this one. Brad Pitt and Damson Idris shine brightest when sharing the screen. Race to see this one in IMAX."

"#F1TheMovie is so freaking good. It has all the adrenaline, heart, pacing, story and character that completely fleshes out this movie into excellence," Maude Garrett of The Nerdist said. "I can only imagine how much MORE I would love this movie if I was a fan of F1 racing! Maybe I am now?"

Erik Davis of Fandango and Rotten Tomatoes wrote on social media: "Joseph Kosinski’s F1 the Movie hits the gas and doesn’t stop. The races are epic, the sound design, editing, cinematography, performances and music are all top notch. You definitely feel shades of Top Gun: Maverick in that it plays like an old school summer blockbuster. What a ride."

Brad Pitt and Damson Idris star as Sonny Hayes and Joshua Pearce

Drew Taylor from The Wrap said on F1's latest release: "F1 The Movie is absolutely incredible. It’s one of the coolest, most entertaining movies you’ll probably ever see, but none of that sizzle takes away from its soul. Kosinski precision engineered an eye-popping, edge of your seat pop epic that makes you feel so much. I adored it."

Drivers give different impression

However, the film received some mixed reviews from the drivers themselves, whose careers it tries to portray.

Hamilton, unsurprisingly so given his involvement in the film, was a big fan, but his arch rival Max Verstappen didn't even bother showing up to the premiere.

Meanwhile, Williams star Carlos Sainz suggested that there are some rather cringeworthy moments in the movie.

"There were just a couple of icks but honestly not as many as I thought," the Spaniard said.

"They warned us also they said, ‘guys, we love your sport, we are in love with your sport but this is Hollywood’."

The Spaniard also touched on his own involvement in the project, giving away a moment for fans to look out for upon the public release of 'F1' on June 25, 2025.

"I think you will see one part you will laugh. It’s not on the grid, it’s in a nightclub, I’m not in the scene either I don’t even appear."

When will the F1 movie be released?

The 2025 grid (aside from Max Verstappen) have already been treated to their own private viewing of the movie, and the first critics' reviews of the blockbuster have already begun to roll in, but when can you go and watch it?

The new film is set for international release on Wednesday, June 25, which is when it will hit UK cinemas. The long-awaited spectacle will then be released on June 27 in North America.

Written by

Sam Cook - Digital Journalist

Sam Cook is a talented young sports journalist and social media professional who now specialises in Formula 1, having previously worked as a football journalist and a local news reporter for a variety of different brands.

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F1 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes Brad Pitt Damson Idris