Earlier this week, Lewis Hamilton and his fellow drivers, along with the cast and crew of the F1 movie, attended the film’s premiere in New York. The film has an international release date of June 25th and a North American release of June 27th. But, before you watch the movie, here’s everything you need to know.
What is the plot of the F1 Movie?
The movie is based on a fictionalized retelling of the history of F1, with the main character, Sonny Hayes, having been a prolific driver during the 1990s. Unfortunately, he suffers an accident on the track that nearly ends his career. The film picks up 30 years later, where Hayes is a racer-for-hire, living a nomadic lifestyle. This is when he is approached by the team owner of the APXGP F1 team, and his former teammate, Ruben Cervantes. The Apex team is failing, and he wants to bring Hayes in to improve the team. Both Hayes and the team are also looking for their shot at redemption. The protagonist will join hotshot rookie Joshua Pearce on the APX’s lineup. As the veteran re-joins the prestigious sport, he will go on a journey of trusting his team and learning that his redemption cannot come from working alone.
Who is in the F1 Movie?
The protagonist of the film, Sonny Hayes, will be portrayed by Brad Pitt. Pitt is a two-time Academy Award winner, known for his roles in movies like Fight Club and Moneyball. The rookie in the film, Pearce, is played by Damson Idris, who starred in the 2021 film Outside the Wire. Javier Bardem, known for his roles in Skyfall and No Country for Old Men, stars as the Apex team’s manager, Ruben Cervantes. Apart from the main characters, the supporting roles of the Apex GP team also boast some big names. Kerry Condon, known for her role as Friday in the Marvel movies, plays APXGP technical director Kate McKenna. Famous British actor Tobias Menzies stars as Peter Banning, a member of APXGP’s board of directors.
Given that filming of the movie took place during race weekends, the cast also features some real F1 drivers. Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, and the rest of the 2024 grid will also be making an appearance in the film.
How was Lewis Hamilton involved in the movie?
The seven-time world champion has more than just an on-screen role in the film. Hamilton has also acted as a producer for the film and lent his experience to make the film more authentic. According to Damson Idris, Hamilton would review the script frequently, pointing out what sequences in the film were too unrealistic.
“Lewis, you know, we would sit in the trailer and just go over the script from the beginning to the end, and he’d kind of called BS on some of the sequences that wouldn’t happen in real life.”
The film’s star also shared the positive energy the Ferrari driver brought to the movie’s set.
“It was really just a sense of encouragement from Lewis. Anytime he came on set, everyone would be really excited.”
“Lewis being there, and being so full of so much passion, was just great and encouraging throughout the filming of this.”
Carlos Sainz shares his review of the F1 movie
After the premiere in New York City, Carlos Sainz was asked about his thoughts on the movie. The Spaniard shared that while the film will appeal to a wide range of audiences, he recommends die-hard F1 fans come with an open mind.
“There’s something for everyone, for sure. I’ll just say for the pure F1 fans, be open-minded to Hollywood.”
Other F1 drivers also shared their thoughts on the film:
“I think it really depicts in a great way what we go through – in a bit of a Hollywood way as you would expect,” said Haas driver Ollie Bearman.
“It’s more, you need to take a step back and see the broader picture, it’s not about the fine details that everything is accurate.” Nico Hulkenberg said.
“It was long – but really well-made,” said Mercedes F1 rookie Kimi Antonelli. [via Race]
