I’m not a fan of Formula One and don’t know anything about it, but “F1” is a heck of a lot of fun.

Brad Pitt stars as Sonny Hayes, an aging, hard-bitten driver picked up by a scuffling F1 team desperate to find something that works. Hayes is a great, if clichéd character, and all the other major characters are enjoyable, too. The film maintains a high level of intensity throughout — think Any Given Sunday for racing. The occasional soap-opera-ish elements and predictability can be forgiven because the movie so successfully delivers compelling action and pleasing drama.