[US, Mexico & Canada customers only] April 13, 2025; Sakhir, BAHRAIN; Oscar Piastri leads George Russell into the first corner at the start of the race during the F1 Bahrain Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit. Mandatory Credit: Rula Rouhana/Reuters via Imagn Images Rula Rouhana/Reuters via Imagn Images

'F1' Movie Star Damson Idris Details his First F1 Race and Passion for the Sport

Originally posted on F1 on SI | By Nelson Espinal | Last updated Apr 14, 2025 2:43 PM ET

Famed actor Damson Idris is set to star in the F1 movie, with co-star Brad Pitt, in a film centered around modern F1.

The story of the movie centers on Pitt's character, Sonny Hayes, who becomes involved in a serious crash that forces him to retire.

Hayes is later asked to come out of retirement, and he agrees to mentor the prodigy Joshua Pearce, portrayed by Idris.

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The movie has featured several collaborations from within the sport, including F1 itself, the FIA, and several teams on the grid, as well as drivers from the grid appearing in the film in some capacity.

Idris auditioned for the role amid substantial interest from Hollywood actors and managed to secure the part, which seems to coincide with his natural passion and enthusiasm for the sport.

Meet APXGP. Sonny Hayes and Joshua Pearce.#F1Movie only in theaters this SUMMER. #F1 pic.twitter.com/5vfujqAmIk
— F1 Movie (@F1Movie) March 13, 2025

“ So my first F1 race was Budapest 2018, and Lewis won. And then I just, I went from race to race," Idris said in a press release.

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"After that, I was a huge fan. I was doing the grid walks, you know, everyone turns right. I turned left. I was always interested in the cars at the back.

"I just, I love the whole experience of F1, but now I'm a huge fan, you know, from Bingeing Drive to Survive and, you know, getting to know so many of the drivers on a personal level."

"Um, it's definitely something I want to continue doing. And yeah, hopefully I could like get a charity going and a bunch of bad drivers together and we can race every year, like, call it F10 or something."”

From Joseph Kosinski, director of Top Gun: Maverick, and starring Brad Pitt comes #F1Movie. #F1 pic.twitter.com/2nZ2XcrgYx
— F1 Movie (@F1Movie) March 13, 2025

Apart from using official resources for the movie, director Joseph Kosinski has gone to extreme lengths to authentically capture the feeling of driving an F1 car.

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“We would be at these races with hundreds of thousands of people, shooting between practice and qualifying (laps),” Kosinski said.

“Instead of having a whole day (to shoot scenes), we’d have nine- or 10-minute slots. We’re literally shooting at 180 mph. It’s an adrenaline rush. What we captured, you can’t fake.”

Lewis Hamilton has embraced the role of producer for the film ,and the seven-time world champion assures that it will be "the most authentic racing film ever made in cinema.”

For more F1 news, head over to F1 on SI.

This article first appeared on F1 on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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