Brad Pitt is shifting into high gear, and this time, it’s not just for a joyride. The new trailer for F1, directed by Top Gun: Maverick’s Joseph Kosinski, is here, and it’s got all the adrenaline-fueled action you’d expect from a film that puts you right in the driver’s seat.
Pitt stars as Sonny Hayes, a former Formula 1 racer who never quite reached his full potential—described in the trailer as “the best [driver] that never was.” But when an underdog team owner (Javier Bardem) comes knocking, Sonny gets a second chance, teaming up with rookie sensation Joshua Pearce, played by Snowfall breakout Damson Idris. The film’s stacked cast also includes Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies, Sarah Niles, Kim Bodnia, and Samson Kayo.
Set to Fleetwood Mac’s iconic The Chain, the trailer wastes no time dropping viewers right onto the track—much like Top Gun: Maverick threw audiences into the cockpit. The stakes? Sky-high. If Sonny and Joshua can defy the odds, they’ll earn their place in racing history. If they can’t? Well, let’s just say the competition isn’t waiting around for them to figure it out.
And if their on-track rivalry wasn’t enough, their off-track banter is just as cutthroat. When Joshua asks Sonny when he last won a Formula 1 race, Pitt’s character casually responds, “Oh, same as you.”
During a recent press conference, Kosinski pulled back the curtain on how F1 came to life, revealing that he first fell for the sport through Netflix’s Drive to Survive. He was especially drawn to the underdog teams clawing their way up the ranks, which became the heart of F1’s story.
But let’s be clear—this isn’t just Hollywood magic. Kosinski teamed up with seven-time Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton, who not only provided insight but also signed on as a producer under his Dawn Apollo Films banner. The goal? Capture the raw, white-knuckle intensity of real F1 racing. And to do that, they needed real speed.
Yes, that’s actually Pitt and Idris pushing over 180 mph in real F2 race cars modified by Mercedes AMG. “It was an adrenaline rush every weekend,” Kosinski admitted. “What we captured is something you can’t fake.”
Getting actors behind the wheel of these high-powered machines wasn’t easy. Months of training went into making sure they could handle the pressure, but according to Kosinski, Pitt had a natural talent from day one.
“I don’t know if he was born with it, but the man can drive,” the director said. “He rides motorcycles, which probably helps, but he’s just a naturally gifted driver.” That reassurance from Pitt’s performance gave both Kosinski and Hamilton confidence that this wild idea could actually work.
If you’re wondering how they made this all happen without disrupting the real Formula 1 schedule, the answer is precision. Kosinski and his crew filmed at actual F1 circuits worldwide, from Silverstone to Las Vegas to Abu Dhabi. But they had to work fast—literally.
“We had these tiny 10- to 15-minute windows between practice and qualifying races,” Kosinski explained. “Brad and Damson had to be in the car, warmed up, and ready to go the second practice ended. We had 24 to 30 cameras rolling, and boom—we captured what we needed in those high-intensity moments.”
Speaking of cameras, Sony custom-built new rigs to capture the speed of the sport, allowing Kosinski and cinematographer Claudio Miranda to control shots remotely while the cars were in motion. And with Hans Zimmer crafting the film’s score, expect a soundtrack that’ll have you gripping your seat as hard as the drivers grip the wheel.
With Warner Bros. handling distribution, F1 speeds into theaters and IMAX screens in North America on June 27, with an international rollout beginning June 25.
Check out the trailer below, and get ready for a ride that’ll leave you breathless.