Cover Brad Pitt and Damson Idris (Photo: courtesy of F1 movie @f1movie/Instagram)
Brad Pitt and Damson Idris (Photo: courtesy of F1 movie @f1movie/Instagram)
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The roar of engines at 200mph. The calculated precision of a pit stop. Formula 1 is intoxicating and so is Apple Original Films’ ‘F1’ movie, starring Brad Pitt and Damson Idris
Directed by Joseph Kosinski and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer alongside seven-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton, F1 stars Brad Pitt as Sonny Hayes, a veteran driver staging an unlikely comeback with the fictional APXGP team. Damson Idris plays his rookie teammate Joshua Pearce, while Kerry Condon commands the screen as the team’s sharp-eyed race director. The supporting cast includes Javier Bardem, who brings gravitas to this supercharged film.
What sets this film apart isn't just its star power – it's the way it peels back the layers of a sport that operates at the intersection of cutting-edge technology, human psychology and pure spectacle. Having witnessed the premiere courtesy of IWC Schaffhausen last night, here are five things that struck me whilst watching this ambitious racing drama.
Brad Pitt might just be cinema’s last true movie star
Don’t come at me, Tom Cruise and George Clooney fans. But at 61, Brad Pitt doesn’t just act in F1 – he inhabits it with the kind of effortless magnetism that reminds you why movie stars used to be considered mythical creatures. Pitt has described being involved in the F1 movie as “one of the most extraordinary experiences” of his career, and that genuine enthusiasm translates directly onto the screen. His cheeky laugh, that signature sideways grin, the way he wears a racing suit like it’s bespoke tailoring—he has almost supernatural screen presence. In the age of social media personalities, Pitt’s performance feels like a masterclass in old-school charisma.
Kerry Condon channels unexpected Spice Girl energy
There’s something ironic about Kerry Condon’s striking resemblance to Geri Halliwell in F1, especially considering Halliwell is married to Red Bull team principal Christian Horner and has been a frequent figure in the F1 paddock. The physical similarity is uncanny. It's a casting choice that feels almost too deliberate, yet Condon's performance as the APXGP team’s race director is entirely her own. The resemblance might be coincidental, but the commanding presence is pure Condon.
Formula 1 is technical theatre
F1 doesn’t sugar-coat the sport’s complexity—it celebrates it. The film shows us that Formula 1 as a discipline where aerodynamics, tires and data matter as much as driver skill. Every conversation crackled with technical jargon. It reinforced the truth that Formula 1 operates at the edge of human and mechanical capability. The movie captures how teams analyses thousands of data points per second, how a single degree of wing angle can determine a race outcome and how drivers must process information at speeds that would overwhelm most humans.
Fashion reigns supreme
You know that moment when NBA players do their tunnel walk and emerge from the depths to face the arena? F1 captured this beautifully, especially through Damson Idris's character. The slow-motion swagger through the paddock, drivers in their bespoke race suits that cost more than most people's cars, sunglasses worth small fortunes— every shot was calculated for maximum impact. Idris obviously channelled Lewis Hamilton's energy—and it worked beautifully.
Us mere mortals could never
Perhaps most impressively, F1 never forgets that its central sport regularly flirts with mortality. The film acknowledges F1's inherent danger without exploiting it for cheap thrills. Instead, it uses that underlying tension to amplify the narrative. When Sonny Hayes climbs back into a cockpit after years away, the stakes feel genuinely consequential. When Joshua Pearce pushes his limits on track, the potential for disaster hangs over every corner. The weight of a sport is felt and the audience was able to experience the intersection of courage and calculation. F1's glamour was totally inseparable from its danger—and it gave me a new found appreciation for the sport.
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As Content Director at Tatler Hong Kong, Tara shapes the brand's editorial vision across social, digital and print, and reports on Asia's most influential figures — from CEOs and leaders across business, style and the arts. In her dual role as Head of VIP, she also drives the planning and execution of Tatler's flagship IPs, curating star-studded events and building the relationships and communities that define the brand. Born and raised in the Middle East, she honed her craft in Dubai, crafting communication strategies for luxury brands across the Gulf. Follow her on Instagram @tarasobti.
