if f1 drivers were nfl quarterbacks
the formula one edition
Welcome back to VideoTape Magazine, a weekly newsletter we think you’ll enjoy if you’re still not sure if butter is a carb.
In today’s newsletter, I do something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time: convert everyone in my life into Formula One fans.
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The Headlines
A trailer for Project Hail Mary just dropped. Can’t wait!
Sydney Sweeney spotted dancing with Tom Brady at Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez’s Venice Wedding.
I hope you’ve been practicing your kicklines! Season Two of America’s Sweethearts is here, and the gals are unionizing.
The Referral
It probably won’t surprise any longtime readers that I loved F1: The Movie. It’s an old-fashioned summer blockbuster, brought to you by explosion-king producer Jerry Bruckheimer and next gen Tony Scott director Joe Kosinski. F1 is a big old movie that deserves to be watched in the theater. Like Top Gun Maverick, the emphasis here is on the stunts. Brad Pitt actually drove an F1 (well, an F2) car at 197 miles per hour alongside real Formula 1 drivers! The result is a completely immersive racing experience, particularly when the screen is big and the sound is surround.
In the film, Brad Pitt plays Sonny Hayes, a 50-something washed up driver, who lives his life race to race. When his old friend and teammate, Ruben (played charmingly enough by Javier Bardem), recruits him to fill-in as a driver on his last place Formula One team, Sonny gets a second chance to claim the greatness that eluded him 30 years ago. Around Pitt and the aforementioned Bardem, you have Damson Idris (Snowfall) playing Hayes’ rookie teammate and rival Joshua Pearce, in a frustratingly thin role. Kerry Condon brings a warmth to her role as Kate, the team’s technical director and Hayes’ love interest, and Tobias Menzies plays the Josh Lucas role in Ford v. Ferrari.
Swarming around the main cast are the real life drivers and team principals from Formula One. They actually filmed on race weekends, and they had F1’s permission to do things like stand for the anthem and film Max Verstappen flipping Sonny Hayes off. It’s a cool conceit, even if the results can occasionally feel a little slapdash and the real-life limitations (i.e. you can’t make any of the drivers or the FIA too villainous) have dramatic reverberations on the film.
There were things that frustrated me about this movie that ultimately hold me back from declaring this the best film of the decade. Those things are, well, most of the non-racing parts. The love story is completely flat, and the rivalry between Pearce and Hayes is frustratingly lacking in dynamism. There’s potential in the Bardem-Pitt relationship, but it’s never explored beyond surface level. The movie just isn’t that interested in any of those things. That’s OK! But I do wonder if that will limit the rewatchability of the film. You could throw on Ford v Ferrari or Rush on an iPad and, thanks to the strength of the character dynamics, you’d still enjoy the film. I’m not sure you could say that about F1.
TLDR watch it in theaters!
And now, I will try to convince you to get into the sport of F1 with me by introducing you to some of the characters. You can start this Sunday by watching the British Grand Prix at 7amPT…
A
think-piece™Whether you’re a longtime pal of the paddock or a recent convert, Formula 1 is right in the middle of a fun season. After an era of Red Bull dominance, the end of last season got interesting and featured McLaren actually snatching the Constructors Championship from the cold tentacles of Christian Horner. The field is as even as it’s been in half a decade, making it a great time for a new fan - particularly an American fan! - to jump in, get to know the drivers, and watch some great racing.
Like NFL starting quarterbacks, only a finite number of Formula One drivers exist at any given time (20!). These guys are the best in the world (with one exception) and their seats are highly coveted. So, let’s get to know some of these athletes in the only way Americans can: pretending like they’re NFL players .
Max Verstappen / Patrick Mahomes
Like Mahomes, Max Verstappen is coming out of an absolutely dominant run. The four time champion is widely considered the best driver on the grid, and already has secured a slot amongst the all-time greats. Also like Mahomes, unfortunately, there are some questions about the strength of his team around him after cracks began to show last season. After spending two and a half seasons virtually unchallenged, Max faced stiff competition from his friend and rival Lando Norris. While Max will be a contender, his victory this year is far from a sure thing.
Lewis Hamilton / 2020 Tom Brady
Like Tom Brady, Lewis is a living legend. With a record tying 7 championships (should be 8!), Lewis is an all time great and a global superstar. Also like late-career Brady, Lewis just switched teams: going from Mercedes and longtime team boss Toto Wolff to the iconic (though somewhat streaky in the modern era) Ferrari. While Lewis’ legacy is solidified, there are those that ding his championships due to the dominant car that the Mercedes team was able to engineer for him. Lewis doesn’t need to prove anything, but another championship at this stage in his career would solidify him on the F1 Mount Rushmore.
Lando Norris / 2014 Russell Wilson
Lando’s team just won the Constructors Championship with him as the lead driver. What more could you want…right? Even after a career year for Lando, questions remain. Is he actually a great driver or just on a great team? Does he have the psycho killer instinct that his friend Max Verstappen does? So far this season, the results have been mixed. His teammate Oscar Piastri is in first place…for now.
Charles Leclerc / Matthew Stafford
Once considered a superstar prospect, Charles is one of the fastest drivers on the grid. Yet, for whatever reason, he seems to be snakebit. Whether it’s poor team strategy or car malfunctions, Charles seems to have the worst luck at the worst times. Can he get back on track this year with Ferrari or will he, like Stafford, need to find a new team to win a championship with?
Fernando Alonso / Aaron Rodgers
A curmudgeonly legend in his 40s who hasn’t had a championship run in 15+ years, Fernando races for Aston Martin, a midfield team with big aspirations but mediocre results. Alonso last won a championship in 2006 (!), but he consistently over performs and is always a larger than life character on and off the track.
Nico Hulkenberg / Derek Carr
Nico Hulkenberg holds the auspicious Formula record of completing 227 races without ever reaching the podium. Who does that remind you of? How about Derek Carr, a guy too good to be a backup but so bad that his teams always seem miserable. You’ll get that podium one day, Nico!
Lance Stroll / Johnny Manziel
Lance Stroll is the son of Team Principal Lawrence Stroll and he consistently is one of the lowest performing drivers on the grid. While there are no father-son combos in the NFL (though I have my eye on Shadeur-Deion!), Stroll’s antics and general poor performance bring back fond memories of a time when Johnny Football ruled the gridiron.
I jinxed this! Congrats Nico