The final trailer for the highly anticipated Formula 1 film starring Brad Pitt and Damson Idris has dropped—and it’s fast, fiery, and filled with insight into what fans can expect from this high-octane Hollywood take on motorsport. Pitt stars as Sonny Hayes, a retired F1 driver who returns to the grid to mentor hotshot rookie Joshua Pearce, played by Snowfall’s Damson Idris. This mentor-protégé setup forms the emotional backbone of the movie, set against the glitz and danger of global F1 racing. With Lewis Hamilton as producer and Joseph Kosinski as director, the F1 movie trailer clarifies that this is not a smooth ride.
A Tale of Two Drivers
The film leans heavily into a “new school vs. old school” dynamic. Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) is gritty, grounded, and unconventional, seen training solo on the Las Vegas Strip or doing neck-strengthening exercises beside his bed. In contrast, Pearce (Damson Idris) represents the sleek, hyper-optimised modern racer, equipped with oxygen masks, flashy attire, and a fiercely competitive attitude.
Their relationship is anything but harmonious. In one scene, Pearce (Damson Idris) sarcastically praises Apex GP—the fictional team—for “giving second chances to the elderly,” prompting Hayes (Brad Pitt) to fire back, “You’re just worried I’m quicker than you.” The tension escalates with Pearce (Damson Idris) warning, “You’re making a mistake thinking I’m just some grateful kid who’ll bend a knee to an old-timer.” The drama promises to be as intense off-track as it is on it.
Fiction That Doesn’t Mirror the Grid
While the generational clash makes for great cinema, it’s not exactly pulled from the real-life F1 playbook. Today’s grid is full of mutual respect among drivers, even when rivalries flare. Legends like Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso regularly share track time with newcomers like Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, often with sportsmanship intact. The Sonny-Joshua dynamic seems crafted more for narrative tension than realism.
Product Placement in Pole Position
Another standout element? Branding—and lots of it. The film’s fictional team, APXGP, is emblazoned with corporate logos from Salesforce to Shark, Expensify to MSC Cruises. Longtime motorsport fans are used to a logo-laden landscape, but the trailer’s barrage of brand names has caught casual viewers off guard.
Still, danger is a constant presence in this film. The trailer is filled with scenes of burning cars, high-speed crashes, and emotionally charged lines like team owner Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem) asking, “How do you think I feel if you die on the track?” While F1 has made tremendous strides in safety, the movie appears keen to explore the sport’s emotional toll and ever-present risks.
Directed by Joseph Kosinski, known for his work on Top Gun: Maverick, and with Lewis Hamilton onboard as a producer, the F1 movie races into theatres in 2025. Suppose the final F1 Movie trailer is any indication. In that case, it will deliver adrenaline-fueled action, compelling character conflict, and a powerful reminder that even in a sport ruled by data and dollars, the humans behind the wheel still drive the story.
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