Fun facts about the F1 movie starring Brad Pitt
Jul 09, 2024
This weekend’s iconic F1 Silverstone race was the gift that keeps on giving. Not only did British driver Lewis Hamilton win the British Grand Prix for his 150th race win, but a trailer for the upcoming F1 movie starring Brad Pitt was also released. Olivia Bullock gets into the F1 spirit and tells you all you need to know about the hotly anticipated film
The F1 movie is expected to hit theatres in June 2025, and Apple TV+ at a later date. Brad Pitt plays Sonny Hayes, a Formula One driver who retires following a tragic accident. But he makes a returns to mentor another race driver, Joshua Pearce (played by Damson Idris).
Bridging real-life racing and Hollywood is something new and extremely exciting. Here are some fun facts about this movie:
Brad Pitt is, in fact, driving in the movie
Although Brad Pitt is driving, he is not driving in real F1 cars. He drives F2 cars that have been modified by Mercedes and equipped with F1 features of an F1 nose, rear wings and side pods. Brad Pitt informed F1 commentator Martin Brundle that “you’ve never seen speed… you’ve never seen G-forces like this… it’s really, really exciting.” The cast had to undergo rigorous downforce training to prevent injury for their driving.
F1 legends are involved in the film
7-time Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton co-produced the movie and is featured in it as well. Max Verstappen, the current Formula 1 World Champion, also makes an appearance in the movie. Other names familiar to F1 fans like Carlos Sainz Jr., Sergio Pérez, and Benoit Treluyer will also appear as themselves. With such racing #legends being directly involved, the movie has earned its stamp of authenticity.
Many scenes in the movie take place at real F1 events
Filming locations included Abu Dhabi, Hungary, Japan, Las Vegas, Mexico City, Monza (Italy), Spa (Belgium), and Zandvoort (Netherlands). Actor Damian Lewis even followed the pre-race tradition by actually performing the British national anthem to the cast and the actual F1 drivers at the Silverstone Circuit. We hear it is a jazz-tinged interpretation sung in an Elvis voice with a saxophonist… Check it out above if you can’t wait.
The film is heavy on star power
Brad Pitt isn’t the only silver screen #legend to be in the cast, Javier Bardem also joins as team principal of the fictional Expensify Apex Grand Prix team (APXGP). Joseph Kosinski, the director of F1 also directed the record-breaking Top Gun: Maverick. The legendary Hans Zimmer has been confirmed to score the film, while screenwriter Ehren Kruger is best known for his extensive work on the Transformers film series.
Also see: 5 things to know about Billkin
