After years of filming in paddocks and pit lanes around the world, the Brad Pitt-led F1 movie will arrive in cinemas next month. Some of the film’s stars – the current F1 drivers and team principals – got their first look at the flick during a private screening ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix.
All 20 drivers (minus Max Verstappen and Lance Stroll, who skipped for personal reasons) gathered in the Principality on Wednesday to find out the fate of the fictional APX GP team.
Pitt wasn’t in attendance. However, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali was on hand to say a few words, followed by director Joe Kosinski and producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who each offered their own remarks.
The grid was all smiles in the cinema, but Nico Hülkenberg admitted the drivers were disappointed by the lack of movie snacks – specifically popcorn – on offer.
Read on for every driver’s reaction to the F1 screening.
Lando Norris
Lando Norris, McLaren
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
“I was brilliant in it and that was the main thing,” said the McLaren driver. “It was a very good movie, a nice storyline – I don’t know how much I can and can’t say.
“It was a cool story, I think an inspirational story – it had a lot of different meanings behind it all. But a cool storyline and a lot of inspiration for young people coming into it.”
Oliver Bearman
“I thought the movie was fantastic,” the British racer said. “It really depicts what we go through, [but] in a bit of a Hollywood way, as you would expect.
“It’s going to make people want to watch F1, which is really the goal of it. The onboard shots and the work that they did was actually quite incredible – it was impressive to see the technology that they can use.
“There were some funny parts, but it was meant to be like that. Of course, there are some things that aren’t fully accurate… like the standard movie scene where they’re going side by side in the straights and suddenly the other guy finds another gear. But that’s a typical movie thing, and I think it makes it super captivating for the audience.
cars being filmed for new F1 film APEX starring Brad Pitt
Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images
“There’s a small minority of us that will maybe find that a bit untrue, but I think for the majority it’s going to be a fantastic movie.”
Carlos Sainz
“I truly enjoyed it. I think for us F1 experts we’re going to see things a bit like we sometimes see with [Drive to Survive],” the Williams racer said.
“You can tell they’re a bit Hollywood-esque. I truly believe that it will attract a lot of new audiences and it will do very well for the people that don’t know anything about Formula 1.
“For the hardcore fan and for journalists we will see things that might be a bit too American or a bit too Hollywood. But honestly I enjoyed the whole film.
“There were things that really surprised me and the team have done an outstanding job in putting together a very good Hollywood movie. Let’s see what the people think.”
Fernando Alonso
“I liked the movie. I think it represents Formula 1 quite well, which is never a guarantee in these kind of movies,” the double world champion said.
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images via Getty Images
“It is a good thing for our sport, because everyone will [want] to see a Formula 1 race – hopefully – after seeing the movie.
“It’s not a documentary, it’s still a movie, so there were a couple of [inaccuracies], but I would say that nearly all of the movie, in terms of track action, was very original and very representative, so that was a good thing.”
Esteban Ocon
“It was super immersive,” the Haas driver said. “The driving scenes were fantastic, and something we’ve never seen before. There were things that didn’t make too much sense for us as drivers being inside the paddock, but I really see where Lewis [Hamilton] has put his touch on it to try and make everything as realistic as possible.
“There were still some parts that needed to be a little bit more Hollywood, which is obviously open for all the public and needs to be catching the eye of everyone.
“For us, there are a few things that I would have liked to be more racing focused and maybe a bit less crashing… but I think overall it’s still by far the best racing movie of all time and it will have a mega success.”
Liam Lawson
“I think it’s going to be huge when it comes out – it has the potential to be one of the biggest movies of the year,” said the New Zealander. “It captures the feeling of being in Formula 1, and that’s really, really cool.
Brad Pitt, American actor and film producer
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
“I wasn’t really racing when most of the filming was done, so I was surprised I even featured. I didn’t know what to expect.
“I can imagine somebody who’s watching F1 for the first time by watching that movie – they’re going to think it’s amazing. You can always poke holes, but it’s a movie at the end of the day, and I’m sure it’s the same if you’re watching Top Gun.
“I’m sure if you’re a fighter pilot and you’re watching a movie like that, you’re going to pick [apart] things in there that you might see differently.”
Nico Hulkenburg
“It’s Hollywood, so you need to take a step back and see the broader picture,” the Sauber driver said.
“It’s not about the fine details, but I think it’s still a new, fresh perspective. There were some good actors in there too. Brad Pitt is my role model now, my new aim is to [drive in F1 at age 61]”
Pierre Gasly
“It was really cool to be able to watch the movie for the first time,” said the Alpine driver.
Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Photo by: Peter Fox / Getty Images
“It’s an amazing opportunity to dive into our world. It’s a Hollywood movie, and I’m a big fan of Brad Pitt, who makes us all look very good as a Formula 1 driver.
“Production also did a fantastic job – I hope that people from the outside are going to enjoy it.”
Charles Leclerc
The Ferrari driver said: “We are looking at it as Formula 1 drivers and we always try and see all the small details that are not exactly [accurate], but it’s just very Hollywood-like and I think that’s really cool because it’s not for F1 drivers, it’s for a broader audience.
“The [driving] scenes are incredible. I’m super impressed by how the camera was put onto the cars and the angles that we see from the cars driving. I know that Brad drove a little bit himself, which is very impressive and I’m sure he enjoyed it.
“It’s amazing for F1 because we are reaching people that we wouldn’t have reached without this movie.”
Isack Hadjar
Stunt driver Craig Dolby standing in for actor Brad Pitt on the grid for a movie scene
Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images
“I think it was weird to watch a movie about Formula 1,” said the French rookie. “It was quite strange and I think it’s going to send the sport into another dimension again.
“I think it’s going to make the sport even bigger, which is nice. It’s hard to give feedback as drivers because we’re really critical, but if you’re a kid or someone who doesn’t know about the sport, I think it’s the best way to get started.”
Alex Albon
“I think they’ve found a good balance,” the Williams racer said.
“It’s hard to not look at everything with a fine comb and just relax and watch it as a movie. I think for Hollywood, they did a good job.”
Gabriel Bortoleto
“It’s going to be very good for those that still don’t know much about the sport,” said the Sauber driver.
“For us drivers, we live this every day, so we know every detail… but for those that don’t know so much about Formula 1, they can learn and they can get involved with us.”
More to come
Additional reporting by Oleg Karpov, Ronald Vording and Mark Mann-Bryans
