At the 2026 Oscars, the award for Best Sound goes to the team behind F1, recognizing the outstanding work of sound professionals Gareth John, Al Nelson, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Gary Rizzo, Juan Peralta. Their achievement blends meticulous recording, bold sound design and immersive mixing to recreate the intensity of Formula One racing with visceral clarity.
From the roar of engines and the shifting textures of track ambience to the intimate, emotional moments inside cockpits and garages, the sound team crafted a sonic world that feels immediate and lived‑in. Every gear change, pit‑lane scramble and crowd swell is rendered with precision, placing audiences at the heart of the race and transforming F1’s high-speed drama into a fully enveloping cinematic experience.
Building an immersive racing soundscape
The Best Sound win highlights how F1’s soundtrack combines on‑location recordings, detailed sound effects and dynamic mixing to capture both scale and nuance. Long, sweeping passes of the cars are balanced with the subtler textures of radios, breathing and mechanical detail, grounding the spectacle in human perspective.
By carefully shaping perspective—moving fluidly between trackside, onboard and interior points of view—the team gives the film a kinetic rhythm that mirrors the ebb and flow of a real race. The result is a soundscape that not only heightens tension and excitement, but also deepens character moments and the emotional stakes of competition.
A technical standout of the season
This Oscar cements F1 as one of the year’s standout technical achievements, demonstrating how sound can be central to storytelling rather than purely supportive. The film’s mix in theatrical formats makes full use of spatial detail and dynamic range, surrounding audiences with the energy of grand prix weekends while preserving clarity for dialogue and key narrative beats.
For Gareth John, Al Nelson, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Gary A. Rizzo and Juan Peralta, the win represents industry recognition of the craft and innovation required to translate one of the world’s fastest sports into an audio experience that feels both authentic and cinematic. For viewers, it confirms what many sensed in theaters: that F1’s sound is not just an enhancement, but a driving force in why the film resonates so powerfully on the big screen.
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