Review · 17 September 2026
F1 (2025)Sports & Competition English
Every race in this film is called by real commentators, so it’s full of the English people use for any sport — a rookie and a veteran, a lap and a pit stop, overtake, take the lead and fall behind, plus neck and neck and a photo finish, told slowly, in clear English.
🎯 Today’s focus
The language of the commentary box — the words English speakers use for any race, any match and any competition, and the phrases for when a contest is close, when someone pulls ahead, and when it could still go either way.
🎬 Episode script
Transcript
4 chapters · about 10 minutes of reading🎭 Intro
Welcome back for another English movie review lesson — I’m Teacher Teddy, and today, let’s talk about F1. Today’s lesson is about sports and competition English. This is the language of the commentary box — the words English speakers use for any race, any match, and any competition, whether it’s Formula One, football, or a school sports day. By the end of this video, you’ll be able to describe a race as it unfolds, and use the phrases native speakers reach for when a contest is close, when someone pulls ahead, and when it could still go either way. If you’re interested in a wider selection of episodes unlocking native English phrases and vocabulary pulled straight from your favourite movies, consider subscribing now.
Imagine an old friend offers you one last season in the sport that nearly killed you. And if you don’t win, the whole team gets sold. What would you do?
The story begins with Sonny Hayes, played by Brad Pitt. Thirty years ago, Sonny was one of the most exciting young drivers in Formula One.
🏁 Plot & how the story is told
The story begins with Sonny Hayes, played by Brad Pitt. Thirty years ago, Sonny was one of the most exciting young drivers in Formula One. Then a terrible crash ended his career, and ever since, he’s driven anything for anyone who’ll pay him. Now, Rubén Cervantes, an old friend, comes to find him. Rubén owns a Formula One team called APXGP. If it doesn’t win one of the last nine races, it will be sold. Rubén needs a miracle, and he thinks Sonny might be it.
Rubén asks Sonny to drive alongside Joshua Pearce, the team’s young star, played by Damson Idris. Joshua is a rookie — someone in their first season.
Sonny is a veteran — someone with years of experience.
And the two are teammates — people on the same team. In Formula One, your teammate is also your closest rival — he has the same car. Joshua doesn’t want an old man as his teammate.
A race is made up of laps — one lap is once around the track.
A car comes in for a pit stop — a stop of a few seconds to change the tyres. We use it off the track too: “Let’s make a quick pit stop for coffee.”
Another word you’ll hear in any race is overtake — to pass another car and move ahead of it. Sonny overtakes brilliantly, and not always fairly.
In qualifying, the fastest driver starts the race in first place — he’s on pole, or has pole position.
Once the race begins, it gets simple. When a driver moves into first place, they take the lead.
When they drop back, they fall behind. These work for football and elections too.
As the season goes on, Sonny and Joshua race against each other instead of for the team, and twice they crash into each other. Then Sonny changes the way the team thinks, using his car to protect Joshua.
Slowly, the team starts scoring, and the film becomes a comeback story — a return to success after a long time of failure. We say a boxer, or a singer, makes a comeback.
The best race, for me, is a wet one in Italy, where Joshua and another car are neck and neck — so close that nobody can say who’s ahead. The phrase comes from horse racing, and we use it for anything close, like an election.
What happens at the end of that race, what it costs Joshua and Sonny, and whether their friendship survives it — I won’t tell you here. What I can tell you is that the last race comes down to the smallest of gaps, and that the film cares far more about what Sonny and Joshua learn from each other than about who reaches the finish line first.
Every race ends at the finish line — where the race officially finishes. We use it for any big goal: “We’re nearly at the finish line with this project.”
And when two cars cross it so close that only a camera can decide the winner, it’s a photo finish — anything decided by the smallest difference.
This last phrase is the film’s whole philosophy: it’s not over until it’s over. Never assume the result until the competition truly finishes. Commentators say it in every sport, and Sonny lives by it.
Does APXGP win a race? Does Rubén keep his team? The final Grand Prix, in Abu Dhabi, at night, under the lights, is worth the wait.
📖 Vocabulary spotlight
This episode also has five bonus vocabulary words — the words real critics reached for when they wrote about this film, and the ones you’ll want when you talk about it yourself.
Thrilling means extremely exciting, making your heart beat faster. The Los Angeles Times called the film muscular and thrilling.
Fearless means showing no fear, even in real danger. Sonny is a fearless driver, which is why Joshua finds him hard to trust.
A veteran is a person with long experience, especially in sport or the army. Brad Pitt plays a veteran driver, back after thirty years.
Adrenaline is the chemical your body makes when you’re excited or afraid. Several critics called the film a pure adrenaline rush.
Slick means smooth, skilful and professional, sometimes more style than substance. Critics called the film slick, though a few felt it wasn’t deep.
💬 Critic reception
Now, let’s talk about how critics have described F1.
The words reviewers reach for are the five bonus words above. The Los Angeles Times called the film muscular and thrilling, and several critics called it a pure adrenaline rush.
Not every word was pure praise. Critics called the film slick — smooth and professional — though a few felt it wasn’t deep. The other two words describe the story rather than the filmmaking: Sonny is a fearless driver, and Brad Pitt plays a veteran, back after thirty years.
⭐ The verdict
Rating
For learning English, it’s better than it has any right to be, because every phrase in this lesson is spoken by the film’s real commentators. As a film, it’s a loud, slick blockbuster — a story you’ve seen before, and racing you’ve never seen filmed like this. Sometimes the best seat in the house is the one right inside the car.
Rated 12A in the UK · A2–B1
📚 Study tools
Learning focus recap
Fourteen words and phrases for sports and competition from the episode, each with the line it came from — plus the five bonus words.
Someone in their first season.
Joshua is a rookie.
Someone with years of experience.
Sonny is a veteran.
People on the same team.
Joshua doesn’t want an old man as his teammate.
Once around the track.
A race is made up of laps.
A stop of a few seconds to change the tyres.
Let’s make a quick pit stop for coffee.
To pass another car and move ahead of it.
Sonny overtakes brilliantly, and not always fairly.
Starting the race in first place, after being the fastest in qualifying.
The fastest driver in qualifying starts on pole, in pole position.
To move into first place.
When a driver moves into first place, they take the lead.
To drop back, behind the others.
When they drop back, they fall behind.
A return to success after a long time of failure.
We say a boxer, or a singer, makes a comeback.
So close that nobody can say who’s ahead.
We use it for anything close, like an election.
Where the race officially finishes.
We’re nearly at the finish line with this project.
A finish so close that only a camera can decide the winner; anything decided by the smallest difference.
Only a camera can decide the winner — it’s a photo finish.
Never assume the result until the competition truly finishes.
Commentators say it in every sport, and Sonny lives by it.
A simple way to remember it all: follow one race from start to end. Before it begins, a rookie and a veteran line up as teammates, and the fastest driver in qualifying starts on pole. Then the race runs lap after lap: one driver may overtake and take the lead, another may fall behind after a pit stop, and two cars can run neck and neck. A boxer or a singer who returns to success after years of failure makes a comeback. At the finish line, the closest result of all is a photo finish — and until then, remember: it’s not over until it’s over.
📖 Bonus words
Thrilling
Extremely exciting.
Fearless
Showing no fear.
Veteran
Having long experience.
Adrenaline
A feeling of intense excitement.
Slick
Smooth and professional.
✏️ Practice
Fill in the blank
0 of 5 correctType the missing sports-and-competition word from this episode, then check. Stuck? Tap Hint to see three options.
It’s only Joshua’s first season in Formula One — he’s a .
The car came in for a quick stop to change the tyres.
When a driver moves into first place, we say they take the .
The election was very close — the two parties were neck and all night.
We’re two goals down, but keep playing — it’s not over until it’s .
🧠 Check you understood
Comprehension questions
0 of 6 answeredWhy does Rubén come to find Sonny?
- His team will be sold unless it wins a race
- He wants Sonny to train his new drivers
- He wants Sonny to be a race commentator
What does it mean that Joshua is a rookie?
- He has many years of experience
- He is in his first season
- He always starts the race on pole
Why is your teammate also your closest rival in Formula One?
- Teammates are not allowed to talk
- Only one of them can do a pit stop
- He drives the same car as you do
What is a pit stop?
- A stop of a few seconds to change tyres
- The place where the fastest car starts
- One full journey around the race track
How does Sonny change the way the team thinks?
- He refuses to overtake anyone at all
- He uses his car to protect Joshua
- He asks Rubén to find a new teammate
What does “neck and neck” mean?
- Far ahead of everyone else in the race
- Dropping back after a crash on the track
- So close that nobody can say who’s ahead
✍️ Your turn
Try it yourself in the comments
At the start I asked what you would do with one last season. Sonny took it, and bent the rules on the track. Was he right to? Write two sentences in the comments, using a phrase from today’s lesson, or one of the five bonus words.
For example: “I think Sonny was right to take one last season, because it’s not over until it’s over. But a veteran should know that a fearless driver can still fall behind.”Write a comment ↓📚 Keep learning
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