Simone Ashley was reportedly not seen on the screens during the early premieres of the F1 Movie, which is set to be released worldwide on June 25. These reports caused a massive backlash from fans. Now, the movie’s director, John Kosinski, has explained that the British actor’s storyline was simply cut from the final edit.
Simone Ashley was announced as part of the F1 film all the way back in July 2024. She also made a public appearance in Miami in May, to promote the film. But reports coming out after the film’s premiere in New York on Monday suggest that the Briton has completely absent in the movie. She was notably also not present at the premiere.
During the event on Monday, the film’s director, John Kosinski, was asked about why Ashley was supposedly removed from the film altogether.
“It happens on every film, where you have to shoot more than you can use. There were two or three storylines that ultimately didn’t make it into the final cut,” he said. [via People]
“But Simone, she’s an incredible talent, incredible actress, incredible singer, and I would love to work with her again.” he added.
Many of Ashley’s fans have been left furious with this decision. A few people have also raised concerns about the move, linking it to the larger trend in Hollywood relating to less screen time for people of color.
Many F1 personalities were present at the F1 film’s premiere in New York on Monday. This included Lewis Hamilton, George Russell, Toto Wolff and Christian Horner. Hamilton is also one of the producers of the Brad Pitt-starrer.
Simone Ashley had previously claimed that her role in the F1 film was “very small”
Simone Ashley had previously claimed that her role in the much-anticipated film was already “very small.” But the 30-year-old is now entirely absent from the movie. The British actor had also expressed her gratitude for being involved in the project, as late as earlier in June.
Speaking to Elle, Ashley talked about her experience and said:
“That was crazy. I have a very small part, but I’m grateful to be in that movie. I got to experience many Grand Prixs and I don’t think I’ll ever do anything like that again.”
Simone Ashley has previously appeared on hit TV shows Bridgerton and Sex Education. Recently, she also appeared as the protagonist in Prarthana Mohan’s 2025 rom-com, named Picture This.
As for the F1 film, this controversy has barely brought down the hype. Superstars Brad Pitt and Javier Bardem have been heavily involved in promoting the movie. F1 stars, including Carlos Sainz, have also been full of praise for the movie, while also asking hardcore F1 fans to go into the theaters with an open mind.
