10 of the most memorable quotes from F1 the Movie

F1 the Movie proved one of the highest-grossing films of 2025, taking over 600 million dollars at the box office to become the most successful car-racing flick of all time.

Such success was doubtless thanks to its jaw-dropping action sequences, unparalleled backstage access to the F1 circus, and dialogue that helpfully leaves you in no doubt what every character is thinking at any given moment.

To mark F1 the Movie’s streaming arrival in the UK, we’ve rounded up 10 of its most memorable quotes that definitely won’t make you grind your teeth to powder.

RUBEN: Some people look at Sonny Hayes, they see a guy who lives in a van, a gambling junkie who missed his shot… but I see a guy who makes teams better.

In a film’s opening scenes, it’s crucial to establish character backstory without resorting to clunky exposition. Here, we elegantly learn that Sonny Hayes is a guy who lives in a van, and also that he’s a gambling junkie who missed his shot.

SONNY: Don’t be s**tty to yourself. There’s plenty of people out there that’ll do that for you.

Veteran driver Sonny generously dispenses this pearl of wisdom to Jodie – the only female member of the Apex pit crew – after she drops her wheel gun during a crucial stop, her latest in a litany of mistakes. Incredibly, Sonny’s advice sees Jodie immediately up her game, switching in an instant from liability to legend. See! That’s all women need to break that glass ceiling! A confidence-inspiring pep talk from an older man!

SONNY: We need to build our car for combat.

Veteran driver Sonny generously dispenses this pearl of wisdom to technical director Kate over a pint in an English country pub. Incredibly, Sonny’s advice sees Kate immediately up her game, turning a back-marker car into championship contender with a single upgrade. Just build it for combat! Why didn’t she think of that?

CASHMAN: As your manager, I have to advise you that we have to start hitting these social and sponsor events. You need more engagement, Josh, more followers.

F1 the Movie is deeply concerned with the tension between pure motorsport and the shallow world of engagement metrics. And this glossy $300m slice of F1 buzz-generation – sponsored by Expensify, Geico and Heineken amongst others – wants you to know it's above all that follower-chasing nonsense. It's about integrity.

COMMENTATOR: The stakes couldn’t be higher for rookie Joshua Pearce. This is not where you want to be, in last place.

To outsiders, the rules and strategies of F1 can be arcane and confusing. This throwaway line subtly helps less F1-savvy viewers to understand that, unlike many other sports, last place is not somewhere you want to be.

ENGINEER: We’ve still got two cars in the mix.

JOSHUA: Then we’ve got a team.

To outsiders, the rules and strategies of F1 can be arcane and confusing. This throwaway line subtly helps less F1-savvy viewers to understand that, unlike in many other fields, two things constitutes a team, whereas just one thing constitutes a… thing.

KATE: I was in aerospace at Lockheed when Ruben came in. He liked my work, liked my attitude, and he sold me on the thrill of fighting to the death for a tenth of a second. Travelling the world, the roar of a crowd. So I ran the idea past my husband, who swiftly became my ex-husband.

It’s crucial to establish Kate as a love interest for Sonny, because a character who’s the first female F1 tech director clearly isn’t interesting enough on her own. This blink-and-you’ll-miss-it line efficiently signals her availability.

RUBEN: You think I brought you in to make my other driver quit?

SONNY: Listen. He’s cocky, he’s arrogant. He’s got a lot to learn.

RUBEN: You were cocky. You were arrogant. And you had a lot to learn.

At the start of the film, it appears Apex GP’s two drivers – young, raw Joshua, and grizzled old-timer Sonny – couldn’t be more different. But, in a deeply unexpected twist, they come to realise they’re more similar than they first thought, particularly in the cocky/arrogant/lot-to-learn departments.

KATE: How old were you when your fathers died?

JOSHUA: 13.

SONNY: 13.

KATE: Huh.

Told you: they’re two peas in a pod, Joshua and Sonny! Does it matter than this whole ‘fathers passing at the same formative age’ revelation is never referred to again after this point? Course it doesn’t!

LISBETH: For the press conference, we want to steer around tech issues, and focus on the super-strong bond with your new teammate, Luca Cortez.

JOSHUA: Luca? Who I’ve known a week? Who when he was third banana on left at Red Bull, told the press he thought Joshua Pearce was overrated? That Luca Cortez?

Yeah, that Luca Cortez.