Formula 1 fans aren’t sure what to expect from the blockbuster summer movie starring 61-year-old Hollywood star Brad Pitt as a driver alongside Britain’s Damson Idris

Brad Pitt while filming the F1 movie on set at the Mexican Grand Prix(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

The first reviews are in ahead of the hotly-anticipated release of the new Formula 1 movie later this month. There is a lot of hope that the film, starring Brad Pitt, will further boost the popularity of the sport, particularly in the USA.

Pitt stars as Sonny Hayes, an American former F1 driver who is brought out of retirement by the team owner of APXGP, played by Javier Bardem, to race alongside talented young British starlet Joshua Pearce, portrayed by Damson Idris.

It is directed by Joseph Kosinski and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer who last teamed up on Top Gun: Maverick. And Lewis Hamilton also served as a producer, providing Hollywood filmmakers with crucial details of what the F1 paddock is really like to help them make the movie as authentic as possible.

Filmed largely on location at real-life races, Hamilton also features on screen alongside his fellow F1 drivers up and down the grid. They were all treated to a special screening of the movie at last month’s Monaco Grand Prix and spoke positively about it afterwards.

The F1 movie is in cinemas at the end of June, but the first reviews are now in from critics who have been given early access. And everyone who has posted online about it so far seems to have been left very impressed by the finished product.

The film has received widespread praise from critics, with the main stars in particular getting positive reactions. That’s despite concerns over the casting of 61-year-old Pitt in the lead role, given his age.

Jazz Tangcay, an editor at Variety, wrote on social media: “WOW! F1 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.”

Maude Garrett, from Nerdist, said the film is “so freaking good”, adding: “It has all the adrenaline, heart, pacing, story and character that completely fleshes out this movie into excellence. I can only imagine how much more I would love this movie if I was a fan of F1 racing. Maybe I am now?”

Lewis Hamilton was a producer on the movie and gave fellow F1 drivers a screening in Monaco last month(Image: Formula 1 via Getty Images)

And Erik Davis, a Rotten Tomatoes contributor, said: “The F1 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.”

For Hamilton, the most important reviews were from his peers as he said: “I really care what the drivers think and I wanted them to think highly of it. I think the great thing is the sound is great, the image is incredible. It’s something that’s never been done in Formula 1 before, so it’s something I’m really proud of.”