The F1 movie starring Brad Pitt was a sensational success at both the box office and amongst critics. And now it has received the ultimate honor with a Best Picture nomination at the Oscars.
It’s quite rare for a sports movie to capture major plaudits from the Academy Awards. In total, just 17 films that can be classified as sports movies have ever been nominated for Best Picture. Only a select few have won the award including Rocky (1976), Chariots of Fire (1981), and Million Dollar Baby (2004).
But now F1 is ready for its moment in the sun. On Thursday morning, the list of Oscar nominations were revealed and F1 is among 10 nominees for Best Picture alongside heavyweights like Sinners, One Battle After Another, and Hamnet.
Timothée Chalamet’s Marty Supreme also garnered a Best Picture nomination, although the debate is still ongoing as to whether or not the ping pong focused flick is actually a sports movie.
And the nominees for Best Picture are… #Oscars pic.twitter.com/khoVsDQlnZ
— The Academy (@TheAcademy) January 22, 2026
The F1 movie is a fun ride with Brad Pitt starring as veteran driver Sonny Hayes. While the film does rely on a lot of traditional sports movie tropes, the relationship between Pitt and his younger teammate Joshua Pearce, played by Damson Idris, is a great story. Add in the fantastic performances of Javier Bardem as team owner Rubén Cervantes and Kerry Condon as technical director Kate McKenna and the film hits all the right notes.
On top of all that, the glamour and spectacle of Formula One is perfect for the big screen. And the racing scenes are some of the best since the original Grand Prix movie starring James Garner all the way back in 1966.
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