--- title: "Looks Like Brad Pitt’s ‘F1’ Movie Actually Did Its Homework" date: "2025-03-13" modified: "2025-03-13" authors: - name: "Adam Ismail" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/adam-ismail" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/looks-like-brad-pitts-f1-movie-actually-did-its-homework" categories: - "Culture" - "F1" - "News" - "Racing" --- # Looks Like Brad Pitt’s ‘F1’ Movie Actually Did Its Homework ![Brad Pitt driving F1 car in F1 film]() *\Apple TV via YouTube\* The first real trailer for Brad Pitt's long-awaited [Formula 1]() movie—titled *F1*, appropriately—just dropped this Thursday afternoon. It's three minutes long and, dare I say, left an impression on at least one racing fan. I have absolutely no expectations that this film will be good or even memorable, but I'll give it to Pitt and *Top Gun: Maverick* director Joseph Kosinski: They've done their homework. The movie's general setup is that Pitt's an established racing driver who seems to have made a career for himself, albeit not in Formula 1. The trailer begins with him competing in the [24 Hours of Daytona](), which prompted me to start paying attention sooner than I planned. You just don't see sports car racing on the silver screen much, and when you do—in, say, *[Gran Turismo]()*—you get the Hungaroring made to look like Le Mans. It's silly. This is the real deal, but then it should be because Apple was willing to spend the cash on Brad Pitt to make it. What we later learn is that Pitt's character, Sonny Hayes, actually won his class at Daytona. Unfortunately, everyone around him, including the younger driver he's been brought in to train played by Damson Idris, considers him a failure because he never made it in F1. Yes, that offends me as much as it'd offend anyone else aware that there are other, better forms of motorsport than Formula 1, but that's beside the point. Rewinding a bit, we hear Fleetwood Mac's iconic "The Chain." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsBNOAAXiCY Yeah, Fleetwood Mac's had a bit of a moment with the youths, but this is a bigger deal than it might seem to newer F1 fans or longtime followers who nevertheless didn't grow up watching the sport on the BBC. "The Chain" was the theme song to the network's F1 broadcasts for decades, from the 1970s through the ['90s]() and again when the series briefly returned to the BBC in the late aughts. Apparently, [those later intros incorporated narration from Sir Patrick Stewart](). Now *that's* good casting. Anyway, "The Chain" was a smart pull. As is a clip where we can see Hayes leading crew members running up Spa-Francorchamps' Eau Rouge, and scenes at Silverstone and Abu Dhabi. There could be other tracks in there I didn't catch; none immediately stood out to me, because F1's bored me too much to watch over the last four years. I'm thinking I'll give it another shot this weekend, mostly to try to internalize the image of [Lewis Hamilton in a Ferrari](). I don't tend to like most racing movies. I found *Gran Turismo* intolerable when pretty much everyone I know who saw it liked it. I didn't dig *Rush* either for reasons I can barely recall at this point. *Ford v. Ferrari* was pretty solid, I thought, so if *F1* is at least that good, I'll be content. It's got pretty much the same plot as *Top Gun: Maverick* or 2001's *Driven* starring Sylvester Stallone—though let's be real, few movies match the sheer elation *Driven* offers per each of its 117 minutes. It's shot like everyone involved was on coke and makes you feel like you are, too. Brad Pitt and company have a lot to live up to! But let's be honest: Even if *F1* is bad, it'll be pretty mesmerizing in IMAX. It hits theaters June 27 in the United States. *Got tips? Send ’em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Adam is a Senior Editor at The Drive, concentrating on curating and developing the site's slate of daily journalism, from initial pitch to final copy edit. When he's not at his desk researching leads and working with writers, he's testing vehicles or reviewing racing games, new and old. He joined The Drive in 2023, following seven years of covering consumer technology and cars. A car lover and gamer since his earliest memories, Adam came to know the automotive world through video games. First it was Daytona USA, Sega Rally, and Ridge Racer; then came Need For Speed, which inspired an encyclopedic knowledge of '90s supercars, and, of course, Gran Turismo. If not for them, he'd assuredly be doing something else right now. Adam is based in the suburbs outside Philly, where there are ample roads for his hot hatch to stretch its legs. In his car, he's probably listening to indie rock, drum and bass, or Yankees baseball. ### Author social links [Bluesky]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()