The Making of F1: A High-Stakes Hollywood Production
The forthcoming film, F1, starring Brad Pitt and directed by Joseph Kosinski, has been touted as a high-octane thrill ride that brings the world of Formula One to life on the big screen. According to a recent article by Time, the production of F1 has been a complex and delicate balancing act between the filmmakers and the Formula One teams.
Formula One teams are notoriously protective of their trade secrets, and Kosinski, who also directed Top Gun: Maverick, had to navigate a similar level of security clearance when working with the US Department of Defense. As reported by Time, Kosinski spent a year gaining access to the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team’s simulator, where he filmed scenes with Pitt and Damson Idris, who play drivers for the fictional APXGP team.
Toto Wolff, team principal of Mercedes, was instrumental in allowing the filmmakers to access the team’s facilities. According to Time, Wolff stated that the team was "keen on contributing to making this a success" and that they couldn’t be "half-pregnant" in their involvement. However, the filmmakers had to make significant alterations to protect Mercedes’ intellectual property.
The production of F1 has been a massive undertaking, with a reported budget of over $200 million. The production team, led by Jerry Bruckheimer, worked closely with F1 to capture authentic footage at 14 races across three continents. The cast, including Pitt, Idris, and Javier Bardem, who plays the owner of the struggling APXGP team, had to perform complex scenes in front of large crowds, often with limited takes.
One of the significant challenges faced by the production team was capturing realistic footage of the F1 cars. As Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of services, noted to Time, Pitt and Idris learned to drive at speeds of up to 180 mph, not far off from the top speeds of real F1 drivers. The production team installed 15 camera mounts on the cars, filming with up to four cameras at once to capture the action on the track.
The film’s attention to detail and commitment to authenticity are clear in its portrayal of the F1 world. As Lewis Hamilton, a producer on the film, noted to Time, the production team made a conscious effort to showcase the technical aspects of the sport, including the complex aerodynamics and sophisticated technology involved.
The involvement of Apple, whose studio arm backed the film, added an extra layer of complexity to the production. As Kosinski noted to Time, working with Apple and F1, two massive organizations with strict brand controls, was "very, very complicated."
Despite the challenges, the filmmakers are confident that their attention to detail and commitment to authenticity will pay off. As Stefano Domenicali, F1 president and CEO, noted to Time, the film aims to attract a mass audience and leave them wanting to know more about F1. The producers hope that the film will inspire a new generation of fans, including female engineers and mechanics.
As the film prepares for its release, the buzz is building. With its high-stakes production, attention to detail, and commitment to authenticity, F1 is shaping up to be a must-see film for racing fans and moviegoers alike.
