This post has been edited by defaultname365: Jun 22 2025, 05:19 PM

Very much a "teaser", you get glimpses of real on-track drivers and fans. I think the full trailer will pack a lot more.

Got my IMAX tickets for this week's release

2 years+ of waiting and it is finally over.

As an avid F1 fan following the sports for over 20 years+, this is a fanboy's dream!

Reviews thus far has been very positive:

My spoiler-free honest review.

One of the best films I have seen this year.

I watched it twice in IMAX. I had plans to catch it in 4DX too, but that never happened. Still there is absolutely nothing like watching it in IMAX. I am not usually a fan of going to big cinemas, but this was a clear exception (I was refreshing the TGV IMAX page daily 2 weeks prior to see when booking began!).

The amount of work that went into creating a "live-in" Formula 1 experience blended with a Hollywood style story is astonishing.

The racing sequences are on a level of their own. I cannot think of another open-wheel racing film that comes close. What makes it even more impressive is how much of it draws directly from real-life F1 moments. The opening crash is a clear nod to Martin Donnelly’s devastating accident during the 1990 Spanish GP. The Monza race in the rain mirrors the kind of tension we have seen in wet Italian races, especially with risky slick tire strategy. Even the late-race overtake is almost a shot-for-shot recreation of Lewis Hamilton’s pass during the 2023 Mexico Grand Prix.

The "main" subplot involving race manipulation, reminded me of infamous real-world events like Crashgate (internally I was screaming this out loud haha..). In the film, one car is deliberately put at risk to benefit another. In real F1, this would never go unpunished. No team could get away with that without severe consequences. The FIA takes sporting integrity seriously. Such actions would trigger regulatory investigations, loss of points, fines, suspensions etc.. It stretches believability, but it makes for high-stakes storytelling. I feel newcomers to the sport may think this is allowable in an actual race.

As for the acting side, Kerry Condon was the star of the film in my opinion. She brought emotional weight and realism to her role. The CGI is so well blended that I barely noticed it. I had been somewhat following fan/track production footage since 2023, so seeing it all on the big screen was surreal. The tension in key moments, the pulse-pounding score, and the attention to F1 detail made me feel like a kid in a candy store.

I had serious doubts they could pull this off. But Joe Kosinski did it. They absolutely nailed it. At just over two and a half hours, the pacing was tight and engaging from start to finish, didn't feel lengthy.

Was it perfect? No, not at all. The romantic subplot sometimes felt a little out of place, although Kerry Condon handled it gracefully. The ending with what Sonny does "afterwards" could have been more impactful. By the way, thinking back I guess I knew the outcome based on fan footage that filmed the podium celebration (ouch)

Even so, this is the most grounded and authentic F1 film I have ever seen. The use of real tracks, integration of actual race events, and involvement of F1 teams and personnel give it a level of realism no other racing film has achieved. Massive credit to the filmmakers and to the FIA for granting such unprecedented access.

This is a solid 9/10 for me. It is not flawless but for F1 fans, this is something truly special. It might just be the closest you can get to feeling the thrill of F1 without actually being in the cockpit. If you are going to watch it, do it on the biggest screen possible. Nothing else will do it justice.

Quite possibly one of the best films to watch on IMAX (it was filmed using IMAX cameras too). I can only speak for the seating at IMAX 1U, but this may apply to other IMAX cinemas as well. Sitting in the 3rd or 4th row from the back, right in the middle, seems to be the absolute best spot.

This post has been edited by defaultname365: Jul 5 2025, 04:15 PM

I honestly still don’t understand some of the comments saying it wasn’t great or didn’t live up to expectations. For me, it actually exceeded them. The fact that the filmmakers were bold enough to set it within actual F1 events, using real racing drivers and team personnel, is unprecedented. They could have easily gone with entirely fictional teams, racers, and tracks - but they didn’t. This was grounded in reality in a way I didn’t expect.

Was the story realistic? Not really. It was definitely a Hollywood take. But in my opinion, it absolutely worked. I think some die-hard F1 fans might be nitpicking (even I caught myself doing that, realizing Sonny Hayes and Joshua Pearce’s races would’ve broken a dozen rules or more). Just enjoy it for what it is, especially in cinematic IMAX. One of the strongest films I’ve seen on the big screen.

This post has been edited by defaultname365: Jul 23 2025, 03:18 AM