F1: The Movie: Finally, a Film That Captures the Spirit of Racing!

A name has been circling in my mind this month: Brad Pitt . Not because of his handsome face, but because of his starring role in that F1 movie. The new trailer dropped this week, and after watching it, I felt like I’d been hit square in the chest—not with pain, but with that long-lost, pure excitement.

Directed by Joseph Kosinski of Top Gun: Maverick and backed by F1 itself, this film authentically recreates the tension of the racetrack. In the trailer, the driver played by Pitt, shares a brief exchange with his pit crew, revealing an unyielding drive for victory and seamless teamwork. The lightning-fast track scenes hit me with the raw thrill of speed intertwined with danger. Every frame seems to say: this movie isn’t just about speed; it’s about unearthing the soul of motorsport. I can’t wait!

“Racing movies” in recent years have left me cold. They’re like the deafening music in a nightclub, designed to spike your adrenaline for a fleeting moment, then—poof—nothing. I’m talking about the Fast & Furious series. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not saying they’re bad or don’t sell tickets. They absolutely entertain the masses with explosions, bikini-clad women, muscle-bound guys, endless car chases, that glue audiences to their seats and protagonists with that “I’m the coolest” smirk. I know plenty of people love that vibe, that brief, intense rush. But for a true racing fan, it’s nowhere near enough.

Car racing, especially F1, isn’t just about speed. It’s a complex, high-stakes battle of intellect, a perfect blend of technology, strategy, courage, and a touch of madness. Can you feel the meticulous effort of engineers sweating over every aerodynamic detail in a wind tunnel when watching Fast & Furious? Can you see the driver making split-second, precise decisions in split-second to gain a fraction of a second, all while enduring crushing G-forces? Can you grasp the raw reality of brushing past death? No, you can’t. All you get is a visual spectacle piled high with CGI, like a dazzling, fleeting fireworks show that leaves nothing behind. That’s not real racing; it’s just a carnival. True racing isn’t fleeting joy; it’s a happiness that demands time to savor.

The spark in my heart reignited when I saw the trailer for this F1 movie. Every shot seemed to tell me this film isn’t about shallow thrills. It’s about the deeper allure of motorsport, the racing spirit rooted in our veins.

Speaking of racing spirit, I can’t help but mention two classics in my heart: Rush and Ford v Ferrari. These films captured the soul of racing, which Fast & Furious could never do

Rush tells the story of the F1 rivalry between Niki Lauda and James Hunt. What makes this movie brilliant is that it doesn’t reduce them to simple good-versus-evil archetypes. Instead, it shows two wildly different personalities chasing the same dream with everything they’ve got. Lauda’s precision and discipline, Hunt’s reckless flair and raw talent—they’re natural rivals but also allies who elevate each other. Lauda’s horrific accident at Nürburgring left his face severely burned and nearly cost him his life. Yet he miraculously returned to the track just 42 days later. What courage. What grit. That’s the true racing spirit! It’s not about driving fast to look cool; it’s about risking your life for victory, for surpassing yourself. The moment Lauda, in excruciating pain, puts on his helmet and climbs back into the car—it’s a gut-punch of raw emotion. That’s not something CGI can fake; it’s a testament to human limits and the hunger for triumph, a real flesh-and-blood struggle.

Then there’s Ford v Ferrari, which chronicles Ford’s quest to challenge Ferrari at the Le Mans 24-hour race. This movie isn't packed with explosions or car chases either. It focuses on the relentless drive of two characters, Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles, as they fight to build a car capable of beating Ferrari. Ken Miles, a hot-tempered but masterful driver, isn’t some haloed superstar. He’s more like a craftsman born for racing, knowing the purpose of every bolt and the meaning behind every gear shift. He poured his life into racing, all for the one moment.

If Rush showcases the courage and conviction on tracks, Ford v Ferrari digs deeper into love and defiance. In the film, Miles and Shelby battle Ford’s internal bureaucracy and obsession with commercial gain to create the ultimate race car. They weren’t chasing money or fame—just the chance to build the fastest car and win on the track. That pure passion, that yearning for freedom, and that refusal to be bought—I admire it deeply. It showed me that even under the crushing weight of corporate interests, there are still those who hold fast to their pursuit of craft and dreams.

These two spirits—Rush’s bravery in facing death and Ford v Ferrari’s stand against worldly constraints—together define my understanding of the racing spirit: transcendence. Transcending rivals, oneself, the fear of death, and even the shackles of compromise.

So, when I saw the trailer for Brad Pitt’s F1 movie, I knew it captured the spirit of motorsport. You feel it in the cars blazing down the track, the pure sense of speed hitting you head-on. But more than that, I saw the fire in the drivers’ eyes, their all-out struggle on the circuit, and the pit crew’s race against time. Some shots even carried a hint of awe for the brutal reality behind racing.

I hope I can see the complex, friend-and-foe dynamic between drivers in the movie, like Rush does. I also hope it echoes Ford v Ferrari by shining a light on the unsung heroes behind the scenes and their fight for pure passion. Above all, I hope it makes me feel that racing isn’t just a sport—it’s a way of life, a belief. It shows us what the human spirit can achieve at the edge of speed and limits.

These days, watching racing movie get flooded with popcorn flicks can feel disheartening. It’s like everyone’s chasing instant gratification while overlooking works that truly touch the soul. I hope this F1 movie marks a turning point, showing that racing films can be more than visual feasts—they can be a baptism of the spirit.

Catch you later for more movie musings!