The new F1 film aims to rival Drive to Survive, boosting global fan interest with real racing scenes and Hollywood-style production.
With the F1 film set to release in just over a week, team principals in the paddock have been asked about their level of excitement—if any—regarding the big-budget production.
Fred Vasseur, first of all: the Ferrari team principal makes a small appearance in the movie and responds in his trademark humorous style, referencing the ongoing Italian media rumors suggesting he is under more pressure than ever at Maranello.
“I’m looking for a new job!”
“I only had two words to say. It wasn’t a huge experience, but it went pretty well.”
At Williams F1, James Vowles, after joking about the leading role played by Fred Vasseur in the movie, commented on the professionalism of the film crew, who were advised by Lewis Hamilton.
“What impressed me most were Fred’s two words, above all.”
“And one of them was in Italian: ‘niente.’”
“But there’s more to say… They blended in with us like they were part of the team here.”
“One must remember that for many scenes, they only had one chance, one take, and that was it.”
“We weren’t going to go back to the start of the race and redo it. They just had to capture what they could.”
“And that’s what impressed me. If you take part in a shoot, you realize they usually do around 40 takes. Even when we do our own work, we go through 40 takes.”
“They didn’t. They pulled it off on schedule, and they did it well. It’s pretty impressive.”
Much like Drive to Survive, the F1 movie—driven by Liberty Media’s vision—aims to attract a broader base of new fans to the sport.
Will the film succeed in its mission? Ayao Komatsu, the Haas F1 team principal, is optimistic.
“Yes, that’s my opinion. Because for many people with only a passing interest in motorsport, the movie is truly immersive.”
“We watch onboard footage all the time, but for people who don’t see it regularly, I find it really immersive.”
“And the racing scenes, mixing real footage with special effects and so on, are brilliantly fused. So yes, that’s how I see it. It’s quite exciting for fans who don’t get to see that all the time.”
Fred Vasseur also wants to draw a comparison between this new cinematic experience and Drive to Survive.
“You can make a parallel with Netflix: we’ll attract a new fan base with the film.”
“And maybe in the future, they’ll watch the races simply because they saw the movie beforehand. And that’s the goal of the whole thing.”
James Vowles, finally, adds a note on the specific target audience: as often with Liberty Media, the focus is across the Atlantic.
“I’m convinced it will attract a new fan base to the sport because it stays true to Formula 1, but with a Hollywood touch.”
“But it will reach a different audience, especially in my view, in the United States.”
“And that’s exactly the whole point: to bring attention to the sport I love.”
