Mercedes Formula 1 driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli has shared his initial thoughts on the upcoming F1 movie after a number of drivers and team members were invited to a private screening ahead of this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix.
The Italian rookie was complimentary of the movie, which sees lead actor Brad Pitt take on the character of Sonny Hayes, a retired F1 driver being pulled back into the sport. He joins Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris) in the fictional APXGP team as they both fight to push the team to the top of the standings.
“I think it was pretty cool. You know, it was long. But really well made,” Antonelli said following the screening. “I think, for everyone in the world, I think it’s gonna be a really cool movie. Cool story as well, so yeah. I think people will really like it.”
The 18-year-old joined the likes of Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, and his team-mate George Russell at the event in Monaco, just days ahead of them taking to their cars for the opulent Grand Prix around the principality on Sunday. In fact, only two drivers failed to attend: Four-time F1 champion Max Verstappen and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll. The former was instead streaming on Twitch under the name Franz Hermann after the Dutchman made waves at the Nurburgring using the fake name.
Brad Pitt on the grid for the filming of the F1 movie
Photo by: Lubomir Asenov / Motorsport Images
About the F1 movie
Directed by Top Gun: Maverick’s Joseph Kosinski and with major input from Hamilton, the movie will boast some of the most realistic F1-based cinematography ever seen on the silver screen. What makes the film even more interesting is how the production team became fully integrated into several Grand Prix weekends, with the APXGP team given its own garage, cars, and space in the paddock. This enabled the team to film in real-world race weekend environments, adding to the spectacle.
The film will be released globally on 25 June later this year. The United States and Canada will see a release date of 27 June.
Antonelli isn’t a stranger to cameras, with him recently being featured in his own documentary called The Seat. Available to watch on Netflix, the production follows Antonelli’s rise through the motorsport ranks before being promoted to the Mercedes F1 team, replacing the outgoing Hamilton under the direction of team principal Toto Wolff.
At the age of 18, he is the third youngest driver to debut in F1, and became the youngest (sprint) pole sitter at the 2025 Miami Grand Prix.
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