1) Lewis Hamilton helped shape the movie from the inside out

Not only did seven-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton serve as a producer of the movie, he also left his imprint on the film’s creative DNA. Beyond playing himself, Hamilton weighed in on everything from technical authenticity to story beats. “Lewis was instrumental … in the real kind of formulative stage of the movie,” Kosinski told the official F1 site. 

Because the film centres on the fiery dynamic between veteran Sonny Hayes (Pitt) and rookie Joshua Pierce (Damson Idris), Hamilton who’s been in the shoes of both, offered invaluable insight and personally coached the actors. As the director puts it: “We couldn’t have made this film without him.”

2) The APXGP cars were custom-built for the film

APXGP, the fictional 11th team created for the movie, required cars that looked fast, cinematic and F1-authentic while remaining safe for actors. According to EW and TIME, the production used modified Formula 2 cars as the foundation, then adapted them with bespoke bodywork and engineering tweaks to resemble F1 machinery. These cars were designed to balance realism with the practical needs of filmmaking, allowing them to be driven hard while carrying specialised camera rigs.

3) The production gained unprecedented access to real F1 teams and races

To make the most authentic racing film ever attempted, Kosinski and his team partnered directly with the F1 organisation. All 10 real F1 teams appear in the film, while the fictional APXGP outfit is treated as the grid’s 11th competitor. 

The crew filmed across the 2023–2024 seasons at iconic circuits including Monza, Silverstone, Suzuka, Las Vegas, Spa-Francorchamps, and Yas Marina. They shot on actual race weekends, squeezing scenes between practice and qualifying, and brought the roar and adrenaline of the sport straight into the movie’s frame.

4) Brad Pitt and Damson Idris trained like real drivers

Authenticity meant one thing: Pitt and Idris had to actually drive. Under the guidance of pro racers-turned-stunt drivers Craig Dolby and Luciano Bacheta, the actors underwent months of training — starting in sports cars, then progressing through open-wheel machines to F3 and finally F2 cars. Much of the training took place at Circuit Paul Ricard. 

“You can’t fake that,” Hamilton says. “Both of them got a real appreciation for what being a racing driver really means — and that’s what you get to see in the film.”

5) A brand-new camera system was invented just for the movie 

To capture g-forces and velocity while working around the razor-thin margin for error at 300 km/h, Kosinski’s team had to reinvent race photography. Cinematographer Claudio Miranda collaborated with Sony to build ‘Carmen’, a prototype cinema camera tough enough to survive an F1 cockpit.  
 
The cars were fitted with up to 15 potential mounting points, using as many as four cameras at once. Motorised remote-control heads, developed with Panavision, could rotate a full 720 degrees, pulling the audience right into the cockpit for the most immersive race footage ever put on screen.