Brad Pitt F1 movie: An insider’s complete guide to the F1 film
This June, F1 starring Brad Pitt as a fictional Formula 1 driver named Sonny Hayes will hit the theaters.
It’s anticipated to be one of the biggest blockbusters of the summer — but if you’re a Formula 1 fan looking to get up to speed, we have all the insider details from the paddock here in one place.
Which drivers are in it?Because F1 was filmed at a variety of Formula 1 races around the world, all of the drivers from the 2023 Formula 1 grid are said to make an appearance in some fashion.
For reference, the drivers on the grid at that time were Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez, Lewis Hamilton, George Russell, Carlos Sainz, Charles Leclerc, Fernando Alonso, Lance Stroll, Pierre Gasly, Esteban Ocon, Kevin Magnussen, Nico Hulkenberg, Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Logan Sargeant, Alex Albon, Zhou Guanyu, Valtteri Bottas, Yuki Tsunoda, Nyck de Vries, Daniel Ricciardo, and Liam Lawson.
Footage from 2024 could also include Jack Doohan, Oliver Bearman, and Franco Colapinto.
That being said, some drivers are likely to play a bigger role than others. Because Lewis Hamilton is a producer of the F1 film, we can expect to see him more than others.
Further, the International Movie Database (IMDb) specifically mentions Hamilton, Esteban Ocon, and Carlos Sainz as being part of the cast. No other drivers are mentioned there, so it is unclear what exact roles those drivers will play, but they have been spotted walking with the actors at the 2024 British Grand Prix.
The first teaser trailer from the F1 film featured Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, as well as former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner.
Fernando Alonso also noted that, during the 2024 British Grand Prix, he was part of a scene filmed in the media pen; he stated, “I didn’t practice. It was not too difficult so I hope it comes good on the screen!”
Which tracks are in it?F1 was filmed live at several Formula 1 tracks on the calendar including:
- The Hungaroring in Mogyorod, Hungary
- Silverstone Circuit in Northamptonshire, UK
- The Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City, Mexico
- The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Stavelot, Belgium
- The Las Vegas Strip circuit in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
- The Autodromo Nazionale di Monza in Monza, Italy
- Suzuka Circuit in Suzuka, Japan
- The Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, UAE
- Circuit Zandvoort in Zandvoort, Netherlands.
A series of scenes was also filmed at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.
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Which teams are in it?All ten Formula 1 teams — Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull, McLaren, Alpine, Aston Martin, Haas, Williams, Sauber, and Racing Bulls — will appear in the F1 movie thanks to the film being shot during live Grands Prix. However, the exact role of each team is somewhat unknown.
In much the same way that we can expect to see plenty of Lewis Hamilton thanks to his role as a producer, we will also likely see quite a bit of Mercedes.
Speaking to Deadline, director Joseph Kosinski noted that Toto Wolff was closely involved in the film, particularly as it pertained to helping the crew understand how to best approximate the feel of driving a Formula 1 machine; it was Wolff who suggested the crew use a Formula 2 chassis modified to look like an F1 car to film the on-track scenes.
Kosinski said, “We worked closely with Mercedes and their design team and aerodynamicists to develop a custom body that resembles the latest generation Formula 1 car.”
Using the F1 trailers as our guide, we are also able to see clips of Pitt battling with Red Bull Racing and Alpine on the track at Silverstone. However, it’s not clear if those clips represent critical plot points, or simply moments of great action.
Is the Brad Pitt F1 movie based on a true story?F1 is not based on a true story; the concept was dreamed up by director Joseph Kosinski, whose other film credits include directing Top Gun: Maverick, Tron: Legacy, and even the music video for Lady Gaga’s “Hold My Hand.”
When it came to actual script writing, it was Ehren Kruger who fleshed out Kosinski’s idea. Interestingly enough, much of Kruger’s previous writing credits have come in the horror genre, including Scream 3, The Ring trilogy, and more. He joined Eric Warren Singer and Christopher McQuarrie in writing the script for Top Gun: Maverick.
That being said, Formula 1 itself has been closely involved in the development of this film, which suggests that, even though F1 isn’t based on a true story, it will be very accurate!
Which races was it filmed at?F1 was filmed at a variety of Formula 1 Grands Prix around the world, as well as at other key racing events. We know crews were present at the following events:
- 2024 IMSA Rolex 24
- 2023 Belgian Grand Prix
- 2024 Belgian Grand Prix
- 2024 Mexico City Grand Prix
- 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix
- 2023 Italian Grand Prix
- 2024 British Grand Prix
- 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix
- 2024 Japanese Grand Prix
- 2024 Dutch Grand Prix
- 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Because F1 was filmed live during various Grands Prix throughout 2023 and 2024, there will be plenty of actual Formula 1 machines littered throughout the film. However, the APXGP cars — those driven by Brad Pitt and Damson Idris — are actually modified Formula 2 machines.
F1 cars are highly specialized and therefore immensely difficult to drive, but a Formula 2 machine can be made to look like an F1 car with modifications to the bodywork and aerodynamics, and that’s exactly what the F1 crew did.
Director Joseph Kosinski stated that it was none other than Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff who suggested the modified F2 car trick. That way, filming is done with a real race car, albeit one that could be more easily controlled by Pitt, Idris, and their stunt drivers.
Speaking to Deadline, Kosinski said that people “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 aren’t real race cars.
“At one of our first meetings, Toto said: ‘You should build this off a Formula 2 car, but make it look like a Formula 1 car,’ so it’s a Formula 2 chassis and engine.
“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’re built specifically for this movie. They also have 15 camera mounts built into them, including the recorders and the batteries and the transmitters. They’re made for shooting movies, but they are fundamentally race cars.”
In other words, the cars used for filming F1 are specially designed for cinematic work, but they’re still race cars.
Early scenes in the film also establish Brad Pitt’s character Sonny Hayes as a sports car driver, where he got behind the wheel of a Porsche 911 GT3 R. Filming was done with the No. 120 machine of Wright Motorsports which fielded Adam Adelson, Elliott Skeer, Jan Heylen, and Frederic Makowiecki in the 2024 Rolex 24. In the film, it will appear as a car run by the fictional Chip Hart Racing team.
Did Brad Pitt race in actual F1 races?No, Brad Pitt and co-star Damson Idris did not actually compete against Formula 1 drivers in any Grand Prix while filming F1.
However, they did join the full grid on certain formation laps in order to capture footage of the fictional APXGP team on track. When you see APXGP cars battling in the heat of a race, that footage has been edited together in post-production, or was captured during a practice session.
How did they get the footage?The camera crew for F1 has developed some innovative techniques for gathering motorsport footage.
As mentioned above, the crew started with a Formula 2 car chassis and created a racing machine designed to look like a Formula 1 car — albeit one that could film a movie along the way. The modified F2 machine features 15 different camera mounts to collect footage.
The team converted six F2 cars to this specification, which required some creative thinking to find the best way to get the required footage. This required Sony develop extremely small, lightweight cameras that could be mounted to the car without weighing it down. Director Joseph Kosinski also wanted to be able to remotely control the camera angle via transmitter, which means each camera can change its perspective.
As far as actual in-race footage is concerned, F1 will be splicing in footage from actual Grands Prix in order to create a sense of realism.
When will the Brad Pitt F1 movie be released?The Brad Pitt F1 movie will released in the UK and internationally on June 25, 2025. It will then release in the US and Canada on June 27, 2025.
The first 10 minutes of the Brad Pitt F1 movie were shown at the Cannes Film Festival, earning widespread praise for its opening depiction of the F1 world.
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