Fl movie sets pace for real-world change

When the filmmakers behind the movie F1 decided to make the most authentic motor racing film ever seen, they reached out to Lewis Hamilton.

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NEW YORK -

The seven-time Formula One world champion signed on as a producer, and with his input the breathtaking, hyper-realistic racing has made the film a hit.

However, F1's commitment to authenticity is not absolute. For years, Hamilton has been critical of Formula One over its lack of diversity and gender equality.

Rather than depict that reality, he pushed the producers to hire a cast that reflects "how F1 should be in the future, or should be now," he explained in 2023, when the film was still in production.

He got his wish.

APX GP, the fictional team at the heart of F1, features prominent roles for women and under-represented groups (alongside Brad Pitt). By any measure, it is far more diverse than any actual team racing in 2025.

So, what about the real-life sport? What is stopping it from reflecting the vision audiences are seeing in theaters and how fast can it catch up? The current lack of diversity is quantifiable.

In the history of Formula One, there has been only one black driver: Hamilton. And the chances that a black person is working in a different role in a racing team are similarly dismal.