Summary:
- Sonny Hayes wins big, but walks away to chase the pure thrill of driving again.
- Joshua’s rise, Sonny’s exit, and corporate sabotage create a high-octane finale full of surprises.
- F1’s mid-credits scene hints Sonny’s journey isn’t over; he’s racing into new challenges beyond Formula One.
- Here’s everything you need to know about Apple’s F1 movie.
Joseph Kosinski’s high-octane racing drama F1 hits the finish line with a heart-pounding finale that mirrors the sheer energy of Formula One racing. Starring Brad Pitt as veteran racer Sonny Hayes, with Kerry Condon and Damson Idris serving as respective central players in his comeback story, F1 hits the big screen with grit, glory, and a satisfying twist.
Here’s a full breakdown of the film’s ending, the mid-credits scene, and what it all might mean going forward.
Table of Contents
What Happens in F1’s Final Race?
The film builds to a dramatic showdown in Abu Dhabi, where Sonny Hayes and rookie teammate Joshua Pearce (Idris) race some of the biggest names in Formula One. This includes a heart-stopping, epic last-lap sprint against Lewis Hamilton. Yeah.
Following internal sabotage in their team, the APX Grand Prix crew pulls off a last-minute recovery to get their car back onto the grid. Despite injuries sustained in earlier crashes, both Sonny and Joshua return to the track. What follows is a thrilling display of teamwork and improvisation, as the two evolve from rivals into a coordinated unit.
In the climax, Sonny tries to help Joshua win by performing a slingshot maneuver. However, when Joshua makes contact with Hamilton, both cars spin out, with Sonny gaining a clear path to the finish line. He takes the lead and crosses the finish line first, securing APX a shocking victory.
For Sonny, it’s a full-circle moment, reclaiming the thrill of racing that was so brutally taken away from him thirty years ago following a life-altering crash.
Why Sonny Hayes Walks Away When He Wins
Even after achieving one of the most significant victories of his life, Sonny steps away quietly. He picks up his gear, gets into his van, and drives off, without fanfare or a press conference.
Why? Because redemption and trophies were never in the cards for Sonny. When he speaks with Kate (Condon), it’s the sense of driving, the simplicity, the freedom, that drives him.
He has no vision for himself in F1’s future, nor does he desire the limelight. It was always about returning and winning one last race so he could remind himself who he is.
His departure conveys a key message: racing is not a job, it’s a vocation. Sonny will pursue that vocation wherever it leads, even if it means putting his life on the line.
The Betrayal Within: Peter Banning’s Sabotage
At the root of APX’s mid-season misfortunes is a deliberate betrayal by board member Peter Banning (Tobias Menzies). Disguising himself as a supporter of team owner Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem), Banning schemed to take over the team by planning Ruben’s downfall.
His plan? Forge illegal car modifications and anonymously report them to F1 authorities so the team is temporarily disqualified. With APX in the hot seat, Banning plans to bench Ruben and rebrand the team around Sonny as its new profit center.
But the plan falls through when the modifications are cleared just in time for the finale. The victory reinstates Ruben’s ownership and exposes Banning’s scheme for what it is: a failed attempt at power.
F1’s Mid-Credits Scene Explained
Rather than a typical post-credits setup, F1 gives a notable mid-credits scene that hints at where Sonny might be headed. We see him arriving in Baja, California, a dusty off-road racing center he talked about visiting earlier in the movie.
Covered in dust and grit, Sonny walks up to a local crew and casually asks, “Still looking for a driver?” Shortly after, we find him speeding over rough ground in a dune buggy, with Hans Zimmer’s soaring score mounting in the distance.
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This doesn’t establish a sequel, but it does announce one thing loud and clear: Sonny is not done yet. Even after he’s achieved victory in F1, he’s pursuing new challenges wherever he can find them. Because for him, there is no finish line to the race.
Will We See an F1 Sequel?
While F1 concludes Sonny’s arc with a satisfying conclusion, there is plenty of room for further stories. A sequel could shift its spotlight to Joshua Pearce and his rise through the ranks of F1. As Ruben remains at the helm of his team and Kate possibly takes over a more senior leadership role, there’s plenty left to explore.
Sonny could return as a mentor figure or perhaps spend his time lingering around the fringes, living on his terms. Either way, the world F1 has built is full enough to support further installments, as long as audiences and box office numbers align.
F1 Review and Final Thoughts
At its core, F1 is a celebration of passion over prestige. It leans into classic sports drama conventions, such as comeback, rivalry, and a redemption arc, but grounds itself on the notion that passion for the craft is greater than fame.
Sonny’s journey is not about legacy-building. It’s about finding a part of himself that he believed he’d left behind. Backed by real F1 drivers, breathtaking IMAX-shot sequences, and a $200 million budget, Kosinski’s movie may not top Top Gun: Maverick, but it carves out its niche as a rousing, cinematic tribute to the soul of racing.
F1 is now racing in theaters, building up strong initial praise and positioning itself as one of the summer’s must-watch events. Regardless of whether Sonny Hayes returns, his final lap will be talked about as one of racing cinema’s most emotional finishes.
