A Recap of ‘F1 The Movie’

Movies

Jun 25

Written By VS BRANDS

Plot Synopsis written by Michael Lee

*All Media used in this article is courtesy of Apple Original Films and Warner Bros. Pictures

Photo Credit: Apple Original Films/Warner Bros. Pictures

Official Trailer: ‘F1 The Movie’ (2025)

Video Courtesy of Apple Original Films/Warner Bros. Pictures/YouTube

Plot Synopsis

Sonny Hayes, an aging American race car driver, has no plans on retiring. He lives out of his van and fosters a nomadic nature. Back in the early 1990’s, Hayes raced in Formula One for Team Lotus, but he sustained severe injuries from a crash during the Spanish Grand Prix, which destroyed his Formula One career. Since then, Hayes has taken up gambling and chooses to bounce between competitions aimlessly.

His Lotus teammate, Ruben Cervantes, who owns the APXGP F1 team, offers Hayes a test drive after Hayes wins the 24 Hours of Daytona, as APX’s second driver is out for the season. Cervantes informs Hayes the investors behind the team can fire him unless APX wins the race. There are nine races left and Cervantes is gambling on Hayes to help save his job. Hayes reluctantly agrees, as he knows that the APX is the worst team in Formula One.

During the test drive, Sonny Hayes meets Kaspar Smolinski, team principal, as well as the technical director, Kate McKenna, and a very talented rookie driver named Joshua Pearce. Pearce is cocky, but is also concerned about his job security as Cervantes may be fired. Pearce believes that to maintain his job, he must impress the F1 community by crushing his teammate. Hayes has issues adapting to the new F1 machinery and crashes, but Smolinski, recognizing his talent, still allows him to drive full time.

Haye’s first race goes badly because slow pit stops managed to drop the APX team to last place. He also ignores a team order to let Pearce pass by, which causes his teammates to crash into one another. He ends up mending his relationship to Pearce by explaining he ‘gamed’ the F1 rules.

Essentially, he intentionally made other drivers crash to force safety car periods, which allowed Pearce to catch up. Therefore, Pearce scores the first point in APX team history. The team grows much closer and shares in their collective knowledge, as Hayes teaches Pearce some old school training methods and Hayes emulates Pearce in the racing simulator.

Later, Hayes manages to convince McKenna to overhaul the car so it can maneuver corners better. At the Italian Grand Prix, a rainstorm gives the team its first solid chance at a win. Hayes encourages Pearce to stay out due to slick tires, which risks ‘aquaplaning’ and would vault Pearce to second place. Pearce ignores this advice and waitresses for a ‘safe straight’ before overtaking driver Max Verstappen. Pearces crashes, and the burns he endures keep him out of the next few races.

When Pearce returns to racing, he is determined to defeat Hayes on the track. His aggressive driving in his comeback race angers Hayes, who now views himself as the team leader.

Now with just two races to go, McKenna challenges Pearce and Hayes to a poker game which decides favorable treatment at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Pearce wins the game but Hayes but he reveals to McKenna that he allowed Pearce the win. McKenna and Hayes retire to her room and make love, but are interrupted by an announcement from a whistleblower that alleged McKenna illegally designed her upgrades with outside help. She denies this but removes the upgrades.

During the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Hayes gets road rage and crashes. While he recovers in the hospital, Cervantes comes to learn that the injuries that Hayes sustained during the 1990 Spanish Grand Prix have completely impaired his ability to drive. Cervantes fires Hayes. Later, Peter Banning from the APX board, reveals he was the one to fake the whistleblower so he could fire Cervantes for his underperformance. He takes over the team, but since he knows little about racing, he offers Hayes team principal if he goes along.

Heading into the final race of the season, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Pearce finally acknowledges that Hayes was not at fault for his crash in Italy and pledges to be more responsible on the track. Hayes turns down Peter Banning's offer and convinces Cervantes to give him one last race. The FIA then clears McKenna and reinstates her upgrades.

During the race, a fortuitous red flag, after Hayes' collision with George Russell, combined with effective teamwork against Charles Leclerc, places Hayes and Pearce in second and third. Hayes sacrifices his opportunity for a win by forcing race leader Lewis Hamilton to block him rather than Pearce. However, Hamilton and Pearce collide, resulting in Hayes winning the race and saving Cervantes' job.

Hayes and McKenna then begin a romantic relationship. Hayes retires from F1 but continues to pursue his passion for racing by participating in a nondescript rally somewhere in Mexico.