When Apple Original Films’ F1: The Movie started popping up in serious Oscar conversations, my first reaction was mild surprise. Sure, F1's first reactions were strong, and a lot of critics really enjoyed it, yet I was still slightly confused by the film's 2026 Oscar nominations. Despite being a slick, star-driven racing movie from Joseph Kosinski, it's not an obvious awards darling, and yet the more I’ve sat with what Academy voters are actually saying about it, the more I’m starting to think this “surprise” nomination makes a lot more sense than I initially thought.
According to a recent deep dive from Variety into anonymous Oscar ballots and behind-the-scenes voter sentiment, F1 is quietly one of the most well-liked films in the race. Voters repeatedly describe it as “great” and “good old-school entertainment,” which might sound faintly damning until you remember who makes up a large chunk of the Academy.
F1 is precisely the kind of flick that plays well with veteran Academy members who built their careers in an era where broad audience appeal mattered more than cultural discourse or online enthusiasm. It’s glossy, technically proficient, and familiar in structure. Think more Ford v Ferrari rather than Everything Everywhere All at Once.
One anonymous voter didn’t bother hedging at all, bluntly declaring, “I f—ing love that movie.” That’s not a consensus-building statement, but it sounds a lot like a comfort vote. And comfort votes are dangerous in a preferential ballot system, especially in a year where critical passion is fractured across dozens of films, and quite possibly, too many best picture nominees.
Best Picture wins often come down to not necessarily voters picking the movie people love most, but the one most people don’t mind ranking highly. And F1 seems to be landing squarely in that sweet spot: widely watched, broadly liked, and rarely despised. In a field crowded with international contenders, challenging arthouse titles, and films that demand emotional or intellectual investment, F1 asks almost nothing of its voters except to have a good time.
Based on reports, it seems pretty clear that many voters simply don’t have the time to watch everything. In that environment, a polished, accessible studio film with a recognizable star like Brad Pitt and obvious technical strengths starts to look very attractive. The movie has a strong chance of snagging the editing, sound, or visual effects award, and once a movie starts winning the crafts awards, it becomes much easier for it to take home Best Picture, providing a true Oscar upset.
This is where my thinking has shifted. I initially saw F1 as a “why is this here?” contender. Now it feels more like a “why wouldn’t it be?” situation. The Academy has always had room for prestige comfort food–you know, the movies that aren’t revolutionary but are professionally made and emotionally easy to endorse.
That doesn’t mean F1 is a shoo-in for Best Picture or will win any of the categories it's nominated in, but in a year defined by vote-splitting and an increasingly global slate of contenders, being the movie everyone agrees is “pretty great” might be the strongest position of all.
So yes, F1 showing up in the Oscar convo, and securing a Best Picture nom, was surprising, but after hearing how voters are actually talking about it, I’m starting to think the real surprise would be if it didn’t. But, I suppose I will just have to wait and see how things shake out when the Oscars air on March 15th as part of the 2026 TV schedule. In the meantime, if you need to catch up on F1: The Movie, it's available to stream with an Apple TV subscription.
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