Brad Pitt has a thing for playing the underdog. Even at 62, he carries that certain "it" factor that makes you believe he can actually drive a car at 200 miles per hour without breaking a sweat. If you’ve been living under a rock, his latest blockbuster, simply titled F1 (or F1: The Movie depending on which poster you’re looking at), has basically taken over the cultural conversation. It isn’t just another racing flick. It’s a $300 million gamble that actually paid off.
Honestly, the hype was massive. People were skeptical. Could the guy from Fight Club really sell himself as a Formula 1 driver in the year 2025?
He did.
The movie landed in theaters in June 2025 and recently hit Apple TV+ in December, quickly becoming the #1 streamed film globally. It’s now officially the highest-grossing movie of Brad Pitt’s career, raking in over $631 million. But it’s not just about the box office numbers. It’s about how they made the thing. Director Joseph Kosinski, the guy who gave us Top Gun: Maverick, basically told CGI to take a hike. He wanted real cars, real G-forces, and real fear on the actors' faces.
What F1 The Movie gets right about the grid
Most racing movies feel like a video game. You know the vibe—weird camera angles and physics that don't make sense. But for new movie brad pitt fans, the realism here is almost jarring. They didn't just build a set; they moved into the actual F1 paddock.
Brad plays Sonny Hayes. He’s a veteran who walked away from the sport in the 90s after a crash that would’ve killed most people. He’s spent decades racing other things, disappearing into the fringes of motorsport until his old friend Ruben Cervantes—played by a very intense Javier Bardem—calls him back. The mission? Save APXGP, a fictional eleventh team that is basically the laughingstock of the grid.
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The Lewis Hamilton connection
You can’t talk about this movie without mentioning Lewis Hamilton. He didn’t just slap his name on the credits as a producer for clout. He was in the trenches. Hamilton helped rewrite the script to make sure the dialogue didn’t sound like "movie talk." He was the one who told the director that if the cars didn't look fast, the fans would revolt.
He even helped train Brad Pitt and co-star Damson Idris.
They weren't driving actual 2026-spec F1 cars—that would be a death wish—but they were in modified Formula 2 chassis that looked the part. Mercedes engineers actually worked on the aero to make the APXGP cars look like legitimate contenders. When you see Brad's head rattling around in the cockpit during the Silverstone scenes, that’s not a stunt double. That’s him feeling the G-forces.
Why the "Maverick" formula worked again
There’s a reason people are calling this the spiritual successor to Top Gun: Maverick. It follows a very specific blueprint:
- Take an aging icon who is "past his prime."
- Give him a young, cocky protégé who thinks he knows everything (Damson Idris as Joshua Pearce).
- Put them in high-stakes, life-or-death machinery.
- Capture it all with groundbreaking camera tech.
The dynamic between Sonny and Joshua is the heart of the film. Joshua is the "wunderkind" who is struggling with the pressure of being a star. Sonny is the guy who has nothing left to lose. It’s a classic mentor-mentee setup, but it feels fresh because the racing sequences are so visceral. They used 16 different camera mounts on the cars. We’re talking cameras tucked under the radiators and receivers hidden in the chassis.
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The result? You feel like you're sitting on the front wing.
Realism vs. Fiction: What's the truth?
Is APXGP a real team? No. But the movie does a weirdly good job of blurring the lines. They filmed during actual Grand Prix weekends in 2023 and 2024. If you look closely at the background of the paddock scenes, you'll see Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, and Charles Leclerc just hanging out. They aren't just cameos; they are part of the world.
The movie even integrates real race footage.
One of the wildest stories from production involves the Silverstone shoot. Kosinski recently admitted that the filming was "pretty reckless." Because they were shooting during a live race weekend with 150,000 fans in the stands, they didn't have time for ten takes. They had minutes. In one instance, they shot three different scenes in just 15 minutes. It was guerrilla filmmaking on a $300 million budget.
The soundtrack you didn't expect
If the engine roars weren't enough, the music is a whole other beast. Hans Zimmer did the score, which is standard "epic" stuff, but the standout is a track called "Drive." It’s a collaboration between John Mayer, Dave Grohl, and Ed Sheeran. They basically tried to channel Eddie Van Halen for the guitar riffs to match the adrenaline of the race tracks. It sounds like something that should be played at 4 a.m. in a garage, and it fits the "old school" vibe of Pitt's character perfectly.
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What’s next for Brad Pitt in 2026?
Now that F1 has solidified its place in the history books, everyone is looking at what’s next. Brad isn't slowing down. He’s currently tied to a few major projects that are supposed to drop later this year or in early 2027.
- The Adventures of Cliff Booth: This is the one everyone is whispering about. It’s a spin-off from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, directed by David Fincher and written by Quentin Tarantino. It supposedly wrapped filming in January 2026.
- Heart of the Beast: A gritty survival thriller where he plays a soldier protecting a combat dog in the wilderness. It's directed by David Ayer and is expected to be much darker than the high-gloss world of Formula 1.
It seems like Pitt is entering a "legacy" phase of his career. He’s picking roles that require physical intensity but also lean into his age rather than trying to hide it. In F1, he looks like a guy who has seen some things. The wrinkles aren't airbrushed out. The fatigue is real. And honestly? That makes the performance better.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you're looking to dive deeper into the world of this film or the actor's current trajectory, here is how to get the most out of it:
- Watch the IMAX version if possible: While the movie is on Apple TV+, the 1.43:1 aspect ratio of the IMAX sequences is how it was meant to be seen. If your local theater is doing a re-run for awards season, go.
- Check out the "F1 Explains" Podcast: Director Joseph Kosinski did a deep-dive episode where he breaks down how they modified the Dallara chassis. It’s a must-listen for gearheads.
- Look for the Easter Eggs: During the Las Vegas scenes, look at the telemetry screens in the background of the APXGP pit wall. They used real data from the 2023 race to make the screens look authentic.
- Follow the Awards Circuit: With its recent Golden Globe nominations, the film is expected to make a big push at the Oscars, particularly in the Sound and Cinematography categories.
The era of the "CGI-fest" might finally be cooling off. Between this and Maverick, audiences have sent a clear message: we want to see real people doing real, dangerous things. Brad Pitt just happened to be the guy brave enough to get behind the wheel.