James Allen On F1 45: What happens when film industry experts break down the F1 Movie?
Aug 20, 2025
45:01
This week we gather a stellar line-up of movie industry insiders as we break down the summer blockbuster F1 Movie, which has now earned over half a billion dollars at the box office, so deserves some deeper consideration.
Having earlier looked at it from the point of view of journalists and fans, we now get the movie experts to cast an eye over it; is it technically a good film?
How well does the story work, and what about the all-important action sequences? How does the treatment of female characters compare? And do movies like this do any long-term good for the sport?
In Part II next week, the panel will compare it with the 1960s classic Grand Prix as well as other classic motorsport films Rush, Days of Thunder and Le Mans. Are they any good as movies? And what does it take to create a movie that appeals to all audiences, not just motorsport enthusiasts?
With James Allen in the studio are:
Eddie Hamilton, editor of Top Gun Maverick and the two most recent Mission Impossible films.
Adrian Wootton OBE, runs the British Film Commission (encouraging productions like F1 to film in the UK).
Mark Lane is an award-winning movie producer, with over 40 credits including I am not a serial Killer and The Cut.
Nick Manzi is a producer with a string of hits from Blitz to Salmon Fishing in the Yemen and a lifelong F1 enthusiast.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to F1 Movie Discussion
03:00 Audience Reception and Expectations
05:58 The Art of Filmmaking in F1 Movies
08:59 Motorsport as a Cinematic Backdrop
11:55 Elements of a Successful Film
14:51 Character Dynamics and Storytelling
18:08 Technical Achievements and Authenticity
20:46 The Role of Female Characters
23:59 Budget and Financial Aspects of F1 Movie
26:51 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Don’t miss the chance to compete against our expert writers on Motorsport’s hugely popular F1 Fantasy League. https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/race-our-writers-motorsport-launches-its-first-ever-featured-league-on-f1-fantasy/10702182/
Send your comments or questions to: @jamesallenonf1 on X or jamesallenonf1@autosport.com.
A Motorsport Studios production for Autosport
Having earlier looked at it from the point of view of journalists and fans, we now get the movie experts to cast an eye over it; is it technically a good film?
How well does the story work, and what about the all-important action sequences? How does the treatment of female characters compare? And do movies like this do any long-term good for the sport?
In Part II next week, the panel will compare it with the 1960s classic Grand Prix as well as other classic motorsport films Rush, Days of Thunder and Le Mans. Are they any good as movies? And what does it take to create a movie that appeals to all audiences, not just motorsport enthusiasts?
With James Allen in the studio are:
Eddie Hamilton, editor of Top Gun Maverick and the two most recent Mission Impossible films.
Adrian Wootton OBE, runs the British Film Commission (encouraging productions like F1 to film in the UK).
Mark Lane is an award-winning movie producer, with over 40 credits including I am not a serial Killer and The Cut.
Nick Manzi is a producer with a string of hits from Blitz to Salmon Fishing in the Yemen and a lifelong F1 enthusiast.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to F1 Movie Discussion
03:00 Audience Reception and Expectations
05:58 The Art of Filmmaking in F1 Movies
08:59 Motorsport as a Cinematic Backdrop
11:55 Elements of a Successful Film
14:51 Character Dynamics and Storytelling
18:08 Technical Achievements and Authenticity
20:46 The Role of Female Characters
23:59 Budget and Financial Aspects of F1 Movie
26:51 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Don’t miss the chance to compete against our expert writers on Motorsport’s hugely popular F1 Fantasy League. https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/race-our-writers-motorsport-launches-its-first-ever-featured-league-on-f1-fantasy/10702182/
Send your comments or questions to: @jamesallenonf1 on X or jamesallenonf1@autosport.com.
A Motorsport Studios production for Autosport