Brad Pitt’s ‘F1’ Movie: Everything We Know So Far

Hollywood legend Brad Pitt has become a regular in the Formula 1 paddock thanks to his upcoming movie, aptly titled “F1.” The action film will be the movie of the summer when it hits theaters in June 2025, featuring cameos from real F1 drivers and high-speed scenes with Pitt behind the wheel of a modified F2 car. Here’s everything we know so far about “F1.”

What is ‘F1’ about?

The film stars Pitt as Sonny Hayes, an ex-F1 driver who makes a surprise return to the grid years after suffering a horrific accident. She is recruited by the owner of the fictional APXGP team, played by Oscar winner Javier Bardem, who pairs her with Damson Idris’s character, newbie Joshua Pearce. Together, the pair must work to lift the 11th F1 team to the top-end of the grid.

“I’ll be the guy running in the 90s,” Pitt told Martin Brundle in a 2023 interview. “He has a terrible accident and he kind of talks nonsense and disappears and then runs into other subjects.” Pitt said that Idris’s character “brings in and kidnaps[him]like a Hail Mary.”

F1 previously stated that the film was created to “celebrate the skill and heroism of the drivers while showcasing the incredible challenge of competing in Formula 1”.

Who is in the cast of ‘F1’?

Along with the Academy Award-winning pairing of Pitt and Bardem, the film stars an all-star cast including “The Crown” actor Tobias Menzies, “The Banshees of Inishrin” star Kerry Condon, “Ted Lasso” actress Sarah Niles and Idris. ,

The project will also star Kim Bodnia and Samson Kayo alongside Simon Ashley, who was seen filming scenes at the 2024 British Grand Prix. The “Bridgerton” breakout star is an F1 fan who met her boyfriend, Constantin “Tino” Klein, at the 2022 Monaco Grand Prix.

Who is directing ‘F1’?

“F1” is directed by seven-time Academy Award nominee Joseph Kosinski. The 50-year-old was previously the lead in the 2022 summer blockbuster “Top Gun: Maverick.”

Where was ‘F1’ filmed?

“F1” was filmed during race weekends in Silverstone, Hungary, Spa, Monza, Zandvoort, Japan, Las Vegas, Abu Dhabi and Mexico City. F1 allowed the crew to set up in an empty garage, with signage for the fictional 11th team on the grid – APXGP.

“We’re shooting in actual grands prix, there are aspects of this film where we’re working in very tight windows, shooting on the track, between practice and qualifying sessions, in front of hundreds of thousands of people,” Kosinski said. previously told Deadline.

“Last year, at Silverstone, we shot on a scene grid. I think we had nine minutes to shoot,” he explained. “It really brings an intensity and everyone leans forward in a way that maybe you would on a normal shooting day… You can already see the adrenaline going and you feel it in the performance.” Are.”

In the film, Pitt’s character raced in the IMSA championship before returning to Formula 1, so the crew also filmed scenes at the Daytona 24 Hours earlier this year.

When did ‘F1’ filming end?

The final scenes of the film were shot at the last race of the 2024 season in Abu Dhabi. After the race, a second podium ceremony was held in front of fans in the grandstand, who were asked to remain in their seats before the pits emerged. The actor was seen spraying champagne while filming scenes with Charles Leclerc and George Russell.

“We’d be here all week doing pickup, and then we’d be in the editing room,” Bruckheimer. told reporters that weekend. “About two-thirds of the film has already been cut. “This will be the last race we do together and we will look at it.”

This comes just weeks after Pitt was spotted filming a scene on the Las Vegas Strip where he ‘passed out’ on a crash mat. The clip immediately went viral online, although Apple’s senior vice president of services, Eddie Cue, said he was not worried about fans getting an early glimpse.

“If you’re on a movie set and you get a clip of this, you won’t know what’s going on,” Cue told reporters. “It’s not like it was shot out of sequence, right? These little things… I saw on YouTube about Brad fainting in Vegas or something, but you have no idea what the context is or what happened before that. I really think it all helps.

What has Brad Pitt said about ‘F1’?

Pitt spoke to Brundle last year when production began on the British Grand Prix.

“I’m a little dizzy right now, I have to say,” he admitted at the time. “This is the best time of my life. …The vibe is amazing, but just to be a part of it like this, and tell your story.

Pitt also thanked everyone in the paddock for being so friendly.

“All the teams have opened their doors to us,” he said. “Everyone is really, really amazing that we can do this. And it’s going to be really good.”

When will ‘F1’ be released?

“F1”, which is produced by Apple, will be released in international markets on June 25, 2025, before its premiere in North American theaters on June 27, 2025.

How is Lewis Hamilton involved in ‘F1’ movie?

Lewis Hamilton’s production company, Don Apollo Films, is co-producing the film with Jerry Bruckheimer, with the seven-time world champion working on the project in an advisory role.

“We want everyone to love it and really feel that we represent the essence of this sport – that’s our goal and I hope we can make you proud,” he told reporters at a press conference at the 2023 British Grand Prix. Can do.” , noting that he was “excited to see it all come together.”

A few months later, he spoke about the SAG-AFTRA strike, which affected the production’s ability to film the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix. “If the strike hadn’t happened, we would have been filming one of the really cool scenes here this weekend,” he told reporters.

Hamilton added, “But we’ll continue filming next year, so you’ll be seeing more of them.” “We’re going to keep moving forward. It’s still going to be great, it may cost a little more but I’m really confident in what Jerry (Bruckheimer) is going to produce.”

How realistic is ‘F1’?

The production used modified Formula 2 cars, which were driven by actors Pitt and Idris as well as a team of former driver-stuntmen. Kosinski said the idea came from Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, who was also involved in the project.

The director told Deadline, “They all complain that racing movies aren’t fast enough because usually when they build these cars, they’re movie cars. You know, they look right, but they Not real race cars.” “At our first meeting, Toto said: ‘You should build it from a Formula 2 car, but make it look like a Formula 1 car,’ so it has a Formula 2 chassis and engine,” he added.

“We worked closely with Mercedes and their design team and aerodynamicists to develop a custom body that resembles the latest generation Formula 1 car. They were built specifically for this film. They included 15 cameras, including recorders and The mounts also include batteries and transmitters. They’re built for shooting movies, but they’re basically race cars.”

The “Top Gun: Maverick” director revealed that Hamilton also played a key role in making the film as realistic as possible.

“He’s the first person I contacted three years ago,” Kosinski told the outlet. “Lewis has been an incredible partner; he jumps on Zoom with me in between races to read the script, line by line, turn by turn, you know, tire compound by tire compound, to make sure “We’re getting all the details right.”

Which drivers will be featured in the ‘F1’ movie?

While it’s unclear how much of the sport’s 20 drivers will be featured in the film, they are expected to make multiple appearances given how many scenes were filmed during the race weekend. The first teaser trailer was released in July 2024 and featured Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez as well as former Haas team principal Gunther Steiner.

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Alpine driver Esteban Ocon were also seen walking with actors on the starting grid ahead of the race at the 2024 British Grand Prix.