Here Are Some Secrets About Brad Pitt’s 'F1' That You Probably Don’t Know

In June 2025, Joseph Kosinski’s F1, marketed officially as F1 the Movie, roared into cinemas and quickly established itself as both a critical and commercial success.

Anchored by a magnetic performance from Brad Pitt and backed by the visionary filmmaking team behind Top Gun: Maverick, F1 became a rare hybrid: a sports drama that captivated racing enthusiasts.

Grossing over $466 million globally against a reported $200–300 million budget, the film has not only become the seventh-highest-grossing movie of 2025 but also marked Apple Studios’ first genuine box-office triumph.

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With Hans Zimmer crafting a turbocharged score, real-world F1 drivers sharing screen space with Pitt, and unprecedented filming access to actual Formula One races, F1 is as much an immersive motorsport experience as it is a gripping underdog story.

But beyond the red carpet premieres and global headlines lies a trove of fascinating behind-the-scenes secrets and creative risks that helped bring this film across the finish line in pole position.

Here are some little-known facts and stories from the making of F1 the Movie that may surprise you.

1. Brad Pitt Was Paid $30 million for His Role, but He Also Trained Like a Real Driver

Brad Pitt, who plays the ageing but daring racer Sonny Hayes, wasn’t just acting behind the wheel; he actually trained for it. Ahead of production, Pitt and co-star Damson Idris spent time testing Formula Three and Formula Two cars at the Paul Ricard Circuit in France.

Pitt’s commitment was matched by a staggering paycheck, $30 million, which reflects his dual role as both leading actor and marquee draw. But this wasn’t a vanity project: his immersion in the motorsport’s intricacies adds a raw authenticity to every scene he shares with real drivers.

2. Real Formula One Teams, Drivers, and Circuits Were Involved—During Actual Race Weekends

In a move that blurs the line between fiction and reality, F1 was shot during real 2023 and 2024 F1 race weekends. Silverstone, Monza, Spa-Francorchamps, Zandvoort, Suzuka, and Las Vegas are just a few of the legendary circuits where filming took place. The fictional APXGP team had its garage at Grand Prix events, and their cars were even placed on the grid alongside real F1 teams.

Top drivers like Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, and Lando Norris appear as themselves—sometimes in dialogue, often in race footage, making F1 a rare Hollywood feature where fiction is edited seamlessly into the fabric of actual global sport.

3. Mercedes Helped Build the Film’s Race Cars—And Apple Designed the Onboard Cameras

Kosinski’s production team went to extraordinary lengths to create believable race sequences. The cars driven by Pitt and Idris were based on modified Dallara F2 chassis and developed with support from Mercedes Applied Science. Some cars were even powered by GP3 engines or electric motors to avoid overheating in the pit lane.

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Meanwhile, Apple, which acquired the film’s rights in a deal valued between $130, 140 million, engineered custom onboard cameras powered by their own iPhone A-series chip. These ultra-compact cameras, smaller and lighter than anything used in Top Gun: Maverick, captured high-speed action from unique angles without affecting the cars’ aerodynamics.

4. Hans Zimmer Crafted a “Gunslinger” Score with Tim Henson and Marco Minnemann

Academy Award-winning composer Hans Zimmer, known for iconic scores in Inception, Interstellar, and Rush, created a hybrid musical identity for F1. Working with longtime collaborator Steve Mazzaro, Zimmer blended orchestral swells with edgy electronic textures, symbolising the human-machine tension at the core of racing.

Zimmer described the theme for Brad Pitt’s Sonny Hayes as a “gunslinger motif,” embodying the rogue driver’s lone-wolf charisma. The score also features instrumental cameos by guitarist Tim Henson (of Polyphia) and drummer Marco Minnemann, giving it a raw, livewire energy that mirrors the sport’s danger and speed.

5. The Film’s Racing Footage Was So Real, Even Hardcore Fans Were Fooled

F1 leveraged advanced VFX techniques from Top Gun: Maverick to “re-skin” real-world F1 footage, replacing cars and branding with the fictional APXGP aesthetic. Led by VFX supervisor Ryan Tudhope and produced by Framestore’s international studios, the visual effects team ensured that scenes shot during real races looked and felt integrated with the fictional storyline.

At times, actual race footage was so convincingly merged with APXGP cars that even motorsport insiders were left double-checking whether the footage had been altered or captured separately.

6. The APXGP Headquarters Was Actually McLaren’s Base—and Mercedes Helped With the Sim Work

Fans wondering how the APXGP team’s headquarters looked so authentic might be surprised to learn that much of the internal HQ footage was shot at the real-life McLaren Technology Centre.

In addition, simulator scenes were filmed at the Mercedes F1 base in Brackley, lending further realism to the film’s portrayal of modern motorsport technology and infrastructure.

7. A Hidden Homage to Jerez Was Filmed at Brands Hatch

Though the film includes a pivotal backstory about Sonny Hayes’s fateful 1993 crash at the Jerez Circuit in Spain, those scenes weren’t filmed there at all.

Instead, the filmmakers used Brands Hatch in the UK as a stand-in for Jerez, subtly re-creating its layout and visual identity for the flashback sequences. Motorsport aficionados might spot the difference, but most will be none the wiser.

8. Simone Ashley Was Cast—but Her Role Was Cut to a Cameo

Bridgerton star Simone Ashley was originally cast in a key role, but director Joseph Kosinski later revealed that her storyline was cut during post-production.

However, Ashley still appears briefly in a cameo, credited as herself. Her character’s removal stirred mild online debate, especially given the film’s broader criticism regarding underdeveloped female characters.

9. A Teaser Premiered During the 2024 British GP—And Apple Created a Haptic Trailer

The marketing campaign for F1 broke new ground. A teaser trailer dropped during the 2024 British Grand Prix, followed by a Super Bowl LIX spot.

But Apple went a step further: in June 2025, they released a “haptic trailer” that pulsed along with the on-screen action using the iPhone’s Taptic Engine, offering fans a tactile preview of the film’s high-speed intensity.

10. There May Be a Sequel (or Even a Franchise)

Given the film’s strong performance and mainstream popularity, it’s no surprise that discussions about a sequel are underway. Variety and The Financial Times both reported that a follow-up, or even a franchise, is on the table.

With Brad Pitt’s character riding off into the Baja 1000 sunset, a sequel could explore his next chapter or shift focus to Joshua Pearce’s rising career. Either way, the world of APXGP might not be done racing just yet.