F1

Even if it’s primarily a feature-length advertisement for the titular racing circuit, F1 keeps its narrative engine revving past the finish line.

Just like its characters — both of the two-legged and four-wheeled variety — this slick and stylish action saga is loud, brash, and unapologetic. The film also feels like a throwback, proving that even with all the technological advancements to cars and analytics, the best driver still wins the race.

That’s where it benefits from the steely charisma of Brad Pitt at the wheel, and director Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick) steering a sharply crafted vehicle behind the scenes.

Pitt plays Sonny, a racing lifer who’s also become a vagabond, scraping together enough purse money from random events to make a living while eschewing the spotlight or the accolades.

His reputation has always outweighed his talent, so when old friend Ruben (Javier Bardem) courts a reluctant Sonny as a replacement driver for his fledgling Europe-based Formula One team, everyone is hesitant to have Sonny join a two-car partnership alongside Joshua (Damson Idris), a young prodigy who seems more concerned with photo ops and social followers than actually winning races.

Meanwhile, Sonny is drawn to Kate (Kerry Condon), the team’s strong-willed lead engineer who embraces the pressure of becoming the first woman to hold such a role.

Along with urging Sonny and Joshua to coexist for their mutual benefit, Ruben must fix mechanical issues that have plagued his team and put it on the verge of bankruptcy. With the season approaching, they need results.

The on-track sequences generate plenty of thrills, especially when the camera is in the cockpit, intimately navigating perilous turns alongside Pitt and Idris (“Snowfall”) with enough horsepower to avoid becoming stuck in the pits.

Along the way, the film yields a rooting interest not just in the vehicles, but the risk-taking adrenaline junkies who pilot them. It also benefits from the F1 circuit’s global array of exotic locales and tracks.

The screenplay by Ehren Kruger (The Ring) is predictable and thematically familiar as it builds toward an inevitable big-race finale with contrived stakes. However, it conveys authenticity with regard to strategy, technique, and terminology within the sport — and also provides a hopeful nod to inclusivity.

As expected, F1 is a high-octane celebration of open-wheeled racing aimed primarily at its legions of established fans, but with enough mainstream appeal to win a few new ones.

Rated PG-13, 155 minutes.