F1 The Movie‘s appeal was largely considered technical and experiential rather than narrative-driven, which makes the best picture nomination surprising.
The film benefited from unprecedented access to Formula 1 facilities and personnel, with seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton serving as a producer and making a cameo appearance.
Despite its four nominations, the F1 movie faces long odds in most categories.
The sound and visual effects races appear particularly competitive, with F1 The Movie competing against other technical powerhouses, including Avatar: Fire and Ash, Frankenstein, and Superman.
The film also notably missed out on a potential category where it had appeared on earlier shortlists, best original score for Hans Zimmer’s composition, which made the shortlist of 20 but failed to advance to the final five nominees.
The 98th Academy Awards ceremony will take place on 15 March at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.