We need to talk about the women in 'F1: The Movie'

When Lewis Hamilton signed on to co-produce 'F1: The Movie,' there was a collective sigh of relief, hoping for authenticity in both racing and inclusion. Hamilton, a vocal advocate for diversity in motorsport, seemed to signal that the film, featuring a female technical director and a multicultural cast, would get it right. However, the movie falls short in its portrayal of women.

The plot follows Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt), a former F1 driver returning for a final chance at glory with the struggling APX GP team, owned by his friend (Javier Bardem) and featuring rookie driver Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris).

Leading the team is technical director Kate (Kerry Condon), the first woman in F1 with such a senior technical role. Despite being portrayed as brilliant and spunky, the car she designed is described as a "s**tbox," and the team is scoreless. Hayes, a "gambling junkie," immediately criticizes her design, suggesting a complete overhaul for "combat." Kate abandons her concept, and the car is suddenly competitive, thanks to Hayes, who has been out of the sport for 30 years.

Adding to the criticism, Kate also becomes Hayes' love interest, despite her initial warnings against dating drivers. She quickly ends up in his hotel room before a race, only for Hayes to decide against a relationship, questioning the decision to write a powerful woman as inept.

Another female character, a pit crew member dubbed 'wheel gun girl,' is shown fumbling in the garage, dropping tools, and botching a pit stop. While she improves, the benchmark is low.

This contrasts with director Joe Kosinski and producer Jerry Bruckheimer's 'Top Gun: Maverick,' where Monica Barbaro's pilot character's struggles were not gender-defined. In 'F1: The Movie,' women's failures seem rooted in their gender in a male-dominated world.

The film also fails the Bechdel Test. Pearce's mother is shown solely admiring Hayes, and his manager comments that his career is safe because "the ladies love [his] smile." A scene in a nightclub features a woman asking Pearce if he can introduce her to Carlos Sainz, a moment that could have been a fun cameo.

'Bridgerton' actress Simone Ashley, who played Pearce's love interest, was cut from the final edit despite a year of filming and recent promotion. While filmmakers cited the removal of multiple storylines, her absence is notable given the pre-release attention.

Filmmakers acknowledged that the F1 media is not the target demographic, implying the movie is for those with little F1 knowledge. However, even this audience includes women. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer's comment about men "dragging their girlfriends to the cinema" suggests a dismissive attitude towards female fans. While the movie has its merits, it notably lacks strong, layered, and competent female characters.