What the F1 Movie Reveals About the Psychology of Sport
F1 movie starring Brad Pitt and Damson Idris
THE MOVIE
The F1 movie isn’t just about racing; it’s a powerful exploration of the mental game. From the veteran driver Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) adapting to new challenges, to the rookie Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris) finding his identity amidst pressure, the film reveals how psychological resilience and flow state drive peak performance on and off the track. Beyond the high-speed thrills and intense competition, it masterfully explores how athletes adapt, embrace risk, enter flow states, and grow through adversity. Here are the psychology topics I noticed from the film.
POST-INJURY-RELATED GROWTH
Post-injury-related growth is depicted through Sonny’s recovery and psychological resilience after a significant accident. The movie highlights how he not only overcomes physical challenges but also experiences personal growth, gaining new perspectives and motivation that influence his approach to racing and life. It also shows Joshua's opportunity for growth and self-reflection only came as a result of his injury. Research agrees with this perspective on injury by stating it can offer an opportunity for athletes to introspect and develop themselves psychologically.
ADAPTATION
The movie shows adaptation through the characters' ability to adjust to new challenges and environments. Sonny Hayes, as a veteran driver, has to adapt to changes in his career and the evolving dynamics within the team. Joshua Pearce’s journey highlights the need to adapt quickly to the pressures and demands of F1 racing, both on and off the track. Joshua finds himself trying to blend new-age techniques with smaller ones. More importantly, we see that there is a shift in Joshua from thinking he is the star of the show (as can be seen, F1 feels like a one-man sport) to realising he is a member of a TEAM, not just with Sonny but all the supporting staff around him.
RACING IDENTITY
Racing identity is a key theme as the characters’ self-concept is deeply tied to their roles as drivers. Sonny’s identity is challenged as he faces competition from younger drivers, while Joshua is in the process of forming his own identity within the racing world. The film delves into how their sense of self is intertwined with their profession. As is common in movies, there is a glorification of a 'this is me, this is what I do' perspective. It portrays Sonny as seeing himself as only having value as a driver, to the point where he will happily die to do it. A mentality best kept for the movies and not real life.
FLOW STATE
Flow state is vividly portrayed during the racing scenes where drivers enter a zone of complete focus and immersion. The film captures a key moment when Sonny experiences this heightened state of performance, where time seems to slow down, and their actions become almost automatic, reflecting the psychological concept of flow. The film did this quite tastefully and referred to this as flying.