It is now common knowledge that Brad Pitt will star in a Formula 1-related film, with seven-time champ Lewis Hamilton also set to play a key role.
Formula 1’s stock has never been higher than it is right now, a popularity boom which can be traced back to Netflix’s hit docuseries ‘Drive to Survive’.
Since then Formula 1 and its stars have become an increasingly popular topic for content, and one of the most eagerly-anticipated future releases is a film which will feature megastar Brad Pitt.
So, let’s round-up all the details so far regarding this project which really could take interest in Formula 1 to that next level.
The storyline for the Brad Pitt F1 movie
The storyline focuses on Pitt’s character, ‘Sonny Hayes’, who is a previously-retired Formula 1 driver that comes out of retirement with the aim of mentoring wunderkind Joshua Pierce, played by Damson Idris.
Pitt told Sky’s Martin Brundle that he plays “a guy who raced in the 1990s… who has a horrible crash, craps out and disappears, then he’s racing in other disciplines.
“His friend, played by Javier Bardem, he’s a team owner, contacts him. They’re a last place team, they’re 21-22 on the grid, they’ve never scored a point. But they have a young phenom, played by Damson Idris, and they bring me in as kind of a Hail Mary and hijinks ensue.
“Tell you what’s amazing about it — there are cameras mounted all over the car — you’ve never seen speed, you’ve never seen just the G-forces like this. It’s really, really exciting.”
When will the Brad Pitt F1 movie be released and where can I watch it?
Apple’s Formula 1 film, with its rumoured working title of ‘Apex’, has finally been given a release date of June 2025.
Split across international and North American markets, the film will be available to view in international markets on 25 June 2025, before being released in North America two days later.
“The global theatrical release will also include IMAX theatres,” stated the F1 press release.
“The crystal-clear images, coupled with IMAX’s customised theatre geometry and powerful digital audio, create a unique environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the movie.”
Who has been cast for the Brad Pitt F1 movie?
At this stage the full cast is yet to be revealed, but information from IMDb states that Pitt is not the only star confirmed so far to be appearing.
Alongside Pitt and Hamilton, the latter unlikely to be portraying an alternate character, IMDb also list British actor Damson Idris, plus Irish actress Kerry Condon, who is a BAFTA Award winner for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, claiming that award for her part in the film ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’.
She was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
IMDb meanwhile understands that Condon will play the role of the team’s technical director.
How will Lewis Hamilton be involved in the Brad Pitt F1 movie?
Hamilton is set to assist with creation of the film in a producer and consultancy role, as part of his own recently established production company, Dawn Apollo Films.
Hamilton had said back in February 2023 that he was part of the audition phase to find the actor who would star alongside Pitt as part of the film’s key plot.
It has also been confirmed that Joseph Kosinski, director of the hit ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ film, will take on the same role for this F1 project, with Jerry Bruckheimer, who produced that sequel and the original, joining Hamilton as a producer for the F1 film.
Sticking with that Top Gun theme, Ehren Kruger has been assigned as the writer.
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Did Brad Pitt drive at Silverstone during the 2023 British Grand Prix weekend?
Filming for the movie began at the 2023 British Grand Prix, where Pitt was seen driving laps of Silverstone in a modified Formula 2 car that has been made to look like it is Formula 1 spec – decked out in a black and gold livery under the team name ‘APXGP’.
The fictional team were given their own garage for the event, with their own branding to make their presence look as lifelike as possible.
The APXGP cars pulled up alongside the other 20 drivers ahead of the start and pulled away shortly after the formation lap began.
Who is supplying the APXGP car?
Mercedes have been on hand to produce a modified Formula 2 car while another F1 staple Pirelli are also involved.
The APXGP team cars are equipped with Pirelli tyres, as are all the tyres that will be used during filming. The logo of the F1’s tyre supplier also appears on the front wing and nose of Pitt and his team-mate’s car.
What has F1 said about the Brad Pitt F1 movie?
Understandably, Formula 1 is very upbeat about the potential benefits of the film, though president and CEO Stefano Domenicali did warn that its production will be “quite invasive” for those in the sport.
“When we started the collaboration with Netflix, the [F1] community said what’s going on? This is not our place to be,” said Domenicali during a meeting with F1 investors, as per Motorsport.com.
“And now we understand the power of it. And then we added the very strong presence with social media, making sure that all our drivers and teams are very active in promoting the sport.
“And that’s another tool with the movie. Actually, we’re going to start the shooting in Silverstone very soon, and you will see it will be the first movie when basically, they will be within the racing event.
“It will be quite invasive in terms of production, it’s something that we need to control in a way, but it will be another way of showing that F1 never stops.”
Lewis Hamilton himself has been glowing in how he has spoken about the film, but admits his nerves at how it is going to turn out – given his own emotional investment as a consulting producer.
“I was here a week or two I think it was before Austria, watching Brad practice and it’s massively exciting to see it all coming together and to know that we’re finally starting to film this weekend,” Hamilton told media including PlanetF1.com ahead of the British Grand Prix weekend.
“There are nerves, naturally, because it’s something we’ve been working on for so long and we want everyone to love it and to really feel that we encapsulate what the essence of this sport is all about.
“So that’s our goal. Hopefully we can do you proud.”
It is expected that the tiny 6K cameras developed for ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ will see further use in this F1 film to take viewers inside the cockpit, so it is certainly a project where it is a case of pulling out all the stops as Formula 1 is introduced to an even larger audience.