F1: The Movie

The aging American racing driver, and former Formula One (F1) prodigy, Sonny Hayes lives nomadically as a racer-for-hire. Although he raced for Lotus in the 1990s, severe injuries from a crash at the Spanish Grand Prix in 1993 ended his F1 career. He subsequently became a gambling addict and lost three marriages. After winning the 24 Hours of Daytona, his former Lotus teammate Ruben Cervantes, who owns the APXGP F1 Team, offers him a test drive to fill their spare seat. Cervantes discloses that his investors will sell the team unless APXGP—last in the World Constructors’ Championship—wins one of the nine remaining Grands Prix that year. Hayes reluctantly agrees after Cervantes tells him victory will make him “the best in the world”.

At the Silverstone test, Hayes meets team principal Kaspar Smolinski, technical director Kate McKenna, and ambitious British rookie Joshua Pearce, who reveal that seven drivers had turned down the opportunity. Pearce maintains an arrogant demeanor, yet worries that the potential sale will result in his replacement, believing he must trounce his teammates to impress the paddock. During his test, Hayes struggles adjusting to modern F1 machinery but, contrary to Pearce, immediately identifies APXGP’s weaknesses. He pushes-the-limit and crashes, but Smolinski recognizes his skill and signs him.

Hayes returns at the British Grand Prix, where slow pit stops demote the APXGP drivers to last-place after a promising start. Hayes ignores team orders to let Pearce by and they collide. In Hungary, Hayes mends his relationship with Pearce by exploiting the rules of F1: by intentionally crashing into other drivers to force safety cars, he helps Pearce catch the midfield and score APXGP’s maiden points finish. Pearce adopts Hayes’s old-school training methods, while Hayes emulates his simulator work and persuades McKenna to re-design the car for “combat”. During the rain-affected Italian Grand Prix, Hayes encourages Pearce to stay out on slick tires, which risks aquaplaning but vaults Pearce to second-place. However, Pearce ignores Hayes’s advice to wait for a straight before attempting to overtake Max Verstappen. Pearce hits a curb at Curva Parabolica and his car is engulfed in flames after flying over the barrier. Hayes rescues him from the fire and Pearce misses the next three races due his injuries, while Hayes claims consistent points. Pearce resolves to defeat Hayes when he returns.

In his comeback race—the Belgian Grand Prix—Pearce’s aggressive driving causes a collision with Hayes at Les Combes, forcing him out of the race and infuriating him. With two races left, McKenna arranges a poker game where the winner gets favorable treatment at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Pearce wins but, after he leaves, Hayes reveals that he intentionally folded with a winning hand. Impressed, McKenna takes Hayes to her room, and they spend the night together. Cervantes interrupts them to announce that an anonymous tip claimed McKenna manufactured upgrades illegally. McKenna denies wrongdoing, but the FIA demand the upgrades’ removal. During the race, Hayes gets road rage and crashes while battling Sergio Pérez. As Hayes recovers in the hospital, Cervantes learns that his 1993 injuries had permanently impaired him, and fires him for his own safety. Board member Peter Banning reveals to Hayes that he orchestrated the complaint so he could fire Cervantes and sell APXGP. He offers to promote Hayes to team principal if the sale goes through.

Before the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Pearce commits to being more responsible and disciplined, admitting his crash was not Hayes’s fault. Hayes persuades Cervantes into letting him race and declines Banning’s offer. The FIA exonerates McKenna, allowing APXGP to restore her upgrades. During the race, Pearce takes the lead by remaining on worn tires, but is later overtaken by Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc; an opportune red flag is shown after a struggling Hayes, in fourth, collides with George Russell, allowing both APXGP drivers to restart on fresher tyres than the leaders. After passing Leclerc, Hayes sacrifices his chance at victory by forcing race-leader Hamilton to block his overtake instead of Pearce’s. However, Hamilton and Pearce collide on the final lap, opening the door for Hayes’s maiden victory, which quashes the sale. Hayes and Cevantes rejoice on the podium, exclaiming “we are the best in the world”. Toto Wolff offers Pearce a seat at Mercedes, but Pearce declines, stating he is happy at APXGP. Hayes begins a relationship with McKenna. Pearce congratulates him and they part ways. Hayes retires from F1 and returns to his nomadic lifestyle, competing in the Baja 1000 for a small team pro bono; when asked why he races, if not for money, he simply smiles.

Last Updated: June 30, 2025 at 11:25