BRAD PITT, LEWIS, AND THE UPCOMING F1 MOVIE: WHY THE TRAILER GIVES ME HOPE
But now that the first trailer has dropped, I’ll admit — my engine’s running a little warmer than expected.
A Trailer That Gets The Look And Feel Right
The movie follows Sonny Hayes (played by Brad Pitt), a retired F1 driver from the 90s who's pulled back into the paddock to mentor rookie sensation Joshua “Noah” Pearce (Damson Idris) at the fictional team APXGP (Apex Grand Prix). 2007 deja vu perhaps? It’s a redemption-meets-mentorship arc, and while we’ve only seen flashes of the story so far, the concept feels grounded in F1 logic — veterans turned coaches, underdog teams looking for a spark, and the mental battle of belonging in the elite 20.
Right off the bat, the trailer impresses visually. The cockpit shots aren’t just for show — they’re mounted in a way that replicates the terrifyingly low, narrow perspective drivers actually deal with. The car vibrations, the halo, the sound of downshifts — it all looks like it’s been shot with real racing in mind. And that’s no surprise, because it has.
Filmed At Silverstone — In The Heart Of The Paddock
One thing that gives me real confidence is that the film’s been shooting inside actual F1 weekends. The team set up a fully functional APXGP garage during the 2024 British Grand Prix, right between Mercedes and Ferrari. That’s not a metaphor — they were literally in the paddock. And it shows.
Watching the trailer, you can spot Silverstone’s grandstands, marshal posts, and even real track rubber on the tarmac. No green screen trickery trying to fake Eau Rouge or Suzuka’s Esses here. The movie is immersed in F1's real environment, and that choice alone puts it miles ahead of most racing flicks.
The Car Isn’t F1… But It’s Close
Let’s be clear: the APXGP car isn’t a Formula 1 car. It’s a Formula 2 chassis modified with F1-like components for filming. But for the purposes of realism, that’s a smart compromise.
Formula 2 cars are smaller, slightly slower, and easier to operate for non-professional drivers — like, say, Brad Pitt. But with Mercedes helping design the modified car, and their crew reportedly supervising technical elements, the end result feels authentic enough. If you’re looking for exact rake angles or 2024 floor regulation accuracy, you’re probably missing the point. What matters is that the cars look right at speed — and based on the trailer, they do.
Lewis Isn’t Just A Name — He’s Shaping The Vision
Here’s where it really gets interesting for us F1 faithful: Lewis is a producer on the film. And based on his recent comments, he’s not just there to sign off on the project. He’s guiding it from the ground up.
Lewis has been working on three movie scripts, and this is the first out of the garage. He’s said he wants to ensure the sport is represented truthfully — not as a superficial car chase, but with real technical, cultural, and competitive depth. According to reports, he’s coached Brad Pitt on driving techniques, consulted on the car setups, and even weighed in on the sound design. That involvement matters.
Why? Because no one understands the nuance of F1 better than someone who’s spent two decades chasing milliseconds and managing tyre temps at 300 km/h. Having Lewis at the production table is like having Adrian Newey blueprint your set design — it won’t be perfect, but it’ll be serious.
Joseph Kosinski’s Style Suits This World
The choice of Joseph Kosinski as director had me really excited before the trailer dropped — and I was right. His previous work on Top Gun: Maverick, Tron: Legacy, and Oblivion shows a clear love for sleek visuals, immersive environments, and grounded yet elevated realism.
In Maverick, he captured jet-speed and pilot POV in a way that was both cinematic and technically sharp. Apply that lens to F1 — where speed, g-force, and split-second instincts matter — and you’ve got a promising formula (pun intended). The trailer leans into that: tracking shots that hover inches above the asphalt, tight helmet close-ups, panning shots through corners. They’re not over-stylized or sensationalized — they're visceral.
Of course, we haven’t seen full race sequences or dramatic arcs yet, but visually, the trailer hints that Kosinski respects the geometry and violence of F1 racing without distorting it for spectacle.
This Movie Won’t “Save” F1 — But It Could Enhance It
Let’s manage expectations. This isn’t going to revolutionize the sport or offer deep technical analysis of porpoising or wind tunnel development hours. But what it could do is give the sport a genuinely respectful, thrilling on-ramp for new fans — and something beautifully shot for long-time followers to enjoy.
The involvement of Lewis is key to maintaining that balance between drama and authenticity. If the final film can stay true to the spirit of the trailer — intimate but energetic, clean but character-driven — it could be the Top Gun: Maverick of motorsport. That’s not about overhyping it; it’s about recognizing potential.
What I’ll Be Watching For
As someone who’s watched team strategy blunders unfold in real-time and still carries emotional scars from the 2021 Abu Dhabi finale, I’ll be watching this film closely. I want to see:
How racing is choreographed: Will we get real overtake strategies? Will they nail braking points and DRS zones?
Garage politics: Do we see engineers, strategists, and tire whisperers get screen time — or is it just the glitz?
The emotional arc: Does Sonny Hayes feel like a driver who’s been through the F1 wringer? Or just a movie star in Nomex?
The trailer gives hope on all three fronts, especially the last. Brad Pitt’s performance so far seems measured — not just grizzled for effect, but quietly intense. There’s that worn-down, world-weary look that a man who knows the grid — and its ghosts — might carry (Alonso anyone?).
In Conclusion: Cautious Optimism From An F1 Diehard
There’s still a lot we haven’t seen. We don’t know how deep the story will go, how believable the racing will feel across two hours, or how the characters will grow over the course of a championship. But if the trailer is anything to go by, this film is headed in the right direction.
It doesn’t feel like it’s pandering. It doesn’t feel cartoonish. It looks like it respects the world of Formula 1 enough to step into it carefully, stylishly, and with the right minds at the wheel.
With Lewis overseeing the authenticity, Kosinski bringing visual muscle, and Brad Pitt leading a story that hints at more than just action, I’m optimistic. Not giddy, not sold — but hopeful. That’s more than I expected from a Hollywood take on our sport.
Now let’s see if APXGP can finish the race.
Watch the trailer on Youtube here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8skLAmcQEX4
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