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The Brad Pitt and Damson Idris starrer F1 made a splash at the box office after premiering on 27 June 2025, grossing over $300 million worldwide. Once a prodigal race driver, Sonny Hayes returns three decades later to prove his worth on the race track. All he has to work with are a failing Formula One team, a hot-headed rookie, and his own emotional baggage.
Director Joseph Kosinski, screenplay writer Ehren Kreuger, producer Jerry Bruckheimer, cinematographer Claudio Miranda, and Oscar Award-winning music composer Hans Zimmer teamed up for another sporty action drama after Top Gun: Maverick (2022). As a result, F1 features many intricate details.
According to an Esquire article published on June 28, 2025, director Kosinski wrote in an email to Lewis Hamilton that he wanted to make one of the most authentic portrayals of racing yet. That required meticulous planning, a high budget, and minimal room for error. This meant thinking outside the box and creating a film with plenty of talking points.
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"I sent an email to Lewis just saying, ‘I want to make a film in this world. I want it to be the most authentic racing film ever. Would you be interested in helping me to do that? And he said yes," Kosinski stated.
Disclaimer: All opinions in this article belong solely to the writer.
Fun facts about F1 The Movie that fans might not know
1) New cameras were made for the movie's requirements
Cinematographer Claudio Miranda wanted to capture the true emotions of a race in F1. That wouldn't come through unless there were tiny cameras within the cockpit to take fans into the heart of the action. Since no existing cameras met the requirement, Sony created Carmen, small cameras that could offer multiple perspectives.
These cameras could rotate and be controlled as the actors drove across the racetrack. Their footage could also be converted for the big screen. The compact size of the cameras also ensured that the car's weight wasn't altered significantly, which made a difference in a race. Director Kosinski insisted on giving fans an experience different from what they see during a regular F1 race.
Director John Kosinski, in an interview with Formula 1, published March 2025, said:
"We’re able to put cameras in places the broadcast can’t. We’re shooting with film-quality cameras that give you a different perspective and experience from what you’re used to seeing on TV."
2) Their collaboration with Formula 1 changed the way they filmed the movie
F1 officially collaborated with the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile), the governing body of all Formula One races. This meant the production team had access to on-ground elements they could use in the movie. Many real-life teams and backroom staff members were used as inspiration for the film's characters.
Since the actors were driving real race cars and filming on actual race tracks, they did not have enough time to do multiple takes. Some takes had to be one and done, under 5-10 minutes. According to Esquire editor Stephen Morrione noted that immense preparation was required to nail a shot.
"The preparation involved was enormous," Stephen Morrione said.
In a way, it was like shooting a live race to bring out the most authentic version of F1 The Movie.
3) Damson Idris had to prove his driving chops in the audition
F1 involved the actors performing actual race stunts, so it's no surprise that Damson Idris, the actor who plays Joshua Pearce, had to drive for his auditions. He went through several rounds of acting auditions, after which he showcased diligence training for the role.
Casting director Lucy Bevan remarked in the interview with Esquire:
“Being a smart, brilliant guy, Damson did loads of training and practice and did really well.”
In a promotional interview for the movie with This Morning on 23 June, 2025, Damson mentioned that he trained for four to five months before F1 went into production. He also shared that racing icon Lewis Hamilton—who executive produced the film—jokingly advised him to:
“Stop driving so slow.”
4) Brad Pitt hit record Formula 2 numbers while shooting
The production crew of F1 the Movie worked with the Mercedes Team Principal, Toto Wolff, who suggested using a Formula 2 car and reworking the exterior to resemble a Formula One car. This provided the actors more protection while maintaining a similar speed, making the filming authentic.
Director John Kosinski, in an interview with Formula 1, published in March 2025, said:
“We actually bought six F2 cars, real F2 race cars and worked with Mercedes AMG, the Formula 1 team and their engineers to build real race cars that could carry our camera equipment, recorders and transmitters for making this film."
Brad Pitt trained to drive consistently fast with the Formula 2 car, and even hit 200mph on several occasions during shooting. By the end of production, the actor was only around five seconds shy of the fastest Formula 2 numbers. This ensured that everything, down to his minuscule expressions when driving at breakneck speeds, was authentic and captured on camera.
5) The movie's shooting intersected with real race weekends in 2023 and 2024
The production crew traveled with the F1 circuit and filmed on race weekends to create an authentic mise-en-scene. They began filming at the Silverstone Grand Prix, also known as the British Grand Prix, in 2023. They continued across other race weekends like the Hungaroring, Monza, Suzuka, Mexico City, Zandvoort, Las Vegas, and Spa-Francorchamps.
For the final sequences of F1, the crew used the Yas Marina circuit. So in all the scenes, fans can see the 2023-24 season's teams and drivers in the circuit. The movie's team, APXGP, joins the existing grid where drivers like Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, and Lewis Hamilton are seen in their former colors.
In the This Morning interview, Idris also spoke at length about how the stands were packed and ready for an actual race, which pumped the pressure on the actors to perform at par with real racers. The atmosphere, the intensity, and the high-stakes screenplay came through because of this.
A movie that started with director Kosinski's email to Lewis Hamilton became a grand spectacle that celebrated and aptly captured the world of Formula One racing. With never-seen-before equipment and method acting from an ensemble cast, F1 provides an immersive performance.
Catch the movie in theaters worldwide.
