Brad Pitt & F1 The Movie
What started as one of Hollywood's most ambitious racing projects became F1 The Movie — a blockbuster built around Brad Pitt, real Formula One race weekends and specially developed APXGP race cars.
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The Movie Has a Name — and It Became a Huge Hit
The project once discussed simply as Brad Pitt's Formula One movie ultimately became F1 The Movie, directed by Joseph Kosinski and made in collaboration with Formula 1.
Brad Pitt stars as veteran racer Sonny Hayes, who returns to Formula One to help the struggling fictional APXGP team and race alongside young teammate Joshua Pearce, played by Damson Idris.
The Drivers at the Center of the Movie
Sonny Hayes
Brad Pitt plays a former Formula One prospect whose racing career was derailed decades earlier. He returns for one more opportunity with APXGP.
Joshua Pearce
Damson Idris plays APXGP's talented young driver, whose ambition and speed put him alongside — and sometimes against — his veteran teammate.
Ruben Cervantes
Javier Bardem plays the APXGP team owner and Sonny's former teammate, who brings Hayes back to help save the struggling team.
The APXGP Cars Were Built to Feel Like the Real Thing
The production didn't simply place actors in stationary movie props. Real race-car hardware became the foundation for the fictional APXGP machines.
Formula 2 Chassis
The production acquired Dallara Formula 2 chassis and modified them for filming.
Mercedes Input
Mercedes engineers and designers helped transform the cars into the fictional APXGP machines.
Built-In Cameras
The cars were designed with numerous camera mounting positions to capture high-speed racing footage.
Actors Behind the Wheel
Pitt and Idris trained extensively and drove the modified race cars for many of the filming sequences.
Real Grand Prix Weekends Became Part of the Movie Set
F1 The Movie was filmed at real Formula One venues while actual race weekends were taking place, helping blend the fictional APXGP team into the real championship environment.
Silverstone
The British Grand Prix became one of the most visible filming locations and an important part of the movie's production story.
Monza, Suzuka & Spa
The filmmakers worked at several of Formula One's most famous circuits to capture authentic paddock, track and race-weekend atmosphere.
Las Vegas & Abu Dhabi
Production also reached modern Formula One showcases, including Las Vegas and the Yas Marina Circuit.
CarDudes Note: APXGP Is Fictional — the Racing Environment Was Very Real
APXGP was created for the movie, but the production worked inside the Formula One world, using real circuits, race weekends, teams, drivers and specially prepared race cars to sell the illusion.
F1 The Movie Official Trailer
The trailer shows how closely the production blended Hollywood storytelling with the speed and visual world of modern Formula One.
Lewis Hamilton Helped Push the Movie Toward Authenticity
Seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton served as one of the film's producers and helped connect the production with the realities of modern Formula One.
Producer
Hamilton was part of the movie's production team, not simply a promotional name attached afterward.
Driver Perspective
His experience helped the filmmakers understand what speed and cockpit intensity should feel like.
F1 Access
Formula One collaboration gave the production access to race weekends, paddocks and real circuits.
Racing Credibility
The goal was to make the cars and driving feel convincing to racing fans as well as movie audiences.
This Wasn't Just Another Movie With Cars in It
Real Speed
The modified APXGP cars were genuine race machines, giving the camera real suspension movement, acceleration and track behavior to capture.
Real Circuits
Iconic Formula One tracks gave the racing sequences an environment that would be difficult to reproduce convincingly on a closed movie set.
Real F1 Atmosphere
Grandstands, paddocks, teams and race-weekend crowds helped make APXGP appear to exist inside the actual Formula One world.
Watch F1 The Movie at Home
After its blockbuster theatrical run, Brad Pitt's Formula One movie is available through Amazon viewing and purchase options.
Watch or Buy F1 The Movie
Follow Sonny Hayes, Joshua Pearce and the fictional APXGP team from the comfort of home. Check Amazon for the current purchase, rental or viewing options available to you.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Availability and viewing options may vary.
Keep the Racing Going
Hollywood Went Racing — and Formula One Let the Cameras In.
From modified race cars to real Grand Prix weekends, F1 The Movie brought movie-making and motorsport closer together than most racing films ever attempt.
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