Halfway through a climactic race in “F1 The Movie,” something goes horribly wrong for our heroes. And yet, through a fluke of Formula 1’s complex and inscrutable rules, the underdog Apex Grand Prix team comes out on top. (Don’t worry, this isn’t a spoiler. It’s a recurring theme throughout the two-and-a-half-hour-long film.)

This weekend, F1 ,starring Brad Pitt and Javier Bardem, hits the 2025 movie schedule, and as a Formula 1 fan, I’ve been excited for this movie ever since they began shooting during the 2023 F1 season. Honestly, I expected it to be somewhat unrealistic, and it was. That didn’t bother me, though. Let me explain why.