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F1: The Movie is nearly here, and fans can’t wait to see Brad Pitt back in action—this time trading in red carpets for race tracks. Pitt stars as Sonny Hayes, a former Formula 1 prodigy making a dramatic return to the sport decades after a near-career-ending crash. Directed by Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick) and featuring a strong supporting cast including Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, and Simone Ashley, the film has already sparked major excitement ahead of its release.
One big question that keeps coming up is whether the story of Sonny Hayes is based on a real-life driver. The answer is no—F1 is a completely fictional film. Sonny Hayes isn’t inspired by any specific racer from Formula 1 history. That said, just because the story is made up doesn’t mean it lacks authenticity. In fact, the film has gone to great lengths to get the details right.
Brad Pitt and the rest of the cast filmed on real Formula 1 tracks, during actual Grand Prix events, to make sure the action feels as real as possible. And they didn’t do it alone—seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton is a producer on the project. Hamilton played a key role in making sure everything—from the racing sequences to the technical dialogue—stayed true to the sport. His involvement has been a major reason fans of the sport are already calling the film one to watch, even before it hits theaters.
Pitt himself has talked about how intense it was to actually drive professional racing cars at top speed. In a recent interview, he described the physical toll of being behind the wheel. “The forces in these cars—the high-speed corners—the physics of it all want to rip your head from your shoulders,” he said. “It’s shocking what these cars can do—and it’s a high unlike any high I’ve ever experienced before.” That hands-on approach is expected to bring a level of realism that audiences rarely get in racing movies.
As for the plot, F1 follows Sonny Hayes, a once-celebrated driver whose career was derailed by a serious accident in the 1990s. Now, 30 years later, he’s pulled back into the sport when a struggling Formula 1 team asks him to come out of retirement. He’s paired with the team’s young, hotshot rookie, and together they try to take on the world’s best. But Sonny quickly learns that the journey back to greatness isn’t just about speed—it’s about teamwork, trust, and facing your past.
F1: The Movie is set to hit theaters on June 27, and whether you’re a longtime racing fan or just in it for Brad Pitt behind the wheel, it promises to deliver high-stakes drama and high-octane thrills—all grounded in a world that looks and feels very real, even if the story itself isn’t.