Director Joseph Kosinski, who was most recently behind Top Gun: Maverick has has already captured plenty of footage at grands prix in 2023, starting with the British Grand Prix where the film crew was allocated a pit garage and set up replica equipment and signs.
Formula 2 cars, modified to look like F1 machines, and featuring black and gold livery reminiscent of the Rich Energy-sponsored Haas team in 2019, took to the track throughout the weekend and lined up with the real grid for the parade lap — but didn’t take the start.
Filming continued in Las Vegas and the 2023 F1 season finale in Abu Dhabi, where on-track camera cars and shots of the pitwall were taken throughout the weekend, but the schedule was interrupted earlier in the year as a result of a lengthy strike by the Screen Actors Guild and Writers Guild of America. It halted production, and pushed ore of the filming into 2024 where new cars with altered liveries are likely to create headaches for continuity editors.
There were rumours that all of 2023’s footage would have to be scrapped but this was later denied by F1, which said that the footage “is relevant”. “The movie will continue shooting at grands prix in 2024, with Brad and Damson driving actual cars on track for racing sequences,” it added.
Details of the collaboration between Apple Studios and Hamilton’s own production company, Dawn Apollo Films, will continue to emerge as we appraoch the scheduled release date in 2025; here is everything we know so far.
What is the plot?
As detailed by Brad Pitt in an exclusive interview with Sky Sports, he will play aged, retired racer Sonny Hayes – a former F1 driver who moves away from the series and races elsewhere after suffering a huge crash during the 1990s. Years later, a struggling F1 team owner, played by Javier Bardem, recruits Hayes to join APXGP as its second driver and mentor young phenomenon Joshua Pierce, played by Damson Idris.
Silverstone is thought to play a key part in the story, given the access that the production crew had over the British Grand Prix weekend in 2023, but filming also took place in Hungary, Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi.
While on track at Silverstone, both APXGP cars performed several race-like manoeuvres, frequently racing wheel-to-wheel on the lead up to Copse Corner, in a way reminiscent to the clash between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen during the 2021 race.
The film will feature APXGP’s cars competing against the ten real teams on the grid, generating possible cameo opportunities for drivers, team principals and other team members.
One part of the film is set to show Pitt racing a Porsche 911 at Daytona, during the spell between his F1 drives.
The cast
Although much of the Apex cast is yet to be revealed, some key members have been confirmed — headlined by Brad Pitt and Damson Idris who will play a leading role.
“Brad looks like he’s ageing backwards,” Hamilton joked during a British GP press conference. “He looks great for his age. It was a big topic when we were discussing the first story but he’s super fit, he’s been training.
“At the end of the day, it’s a movie so there will be a Hollywood element to it that will make it believable. I can’t tell you how excited I am to have Brad Pitt in a Formula 1 movie. It’s incredible.”
| Cast member | Role |
 Brad Pitt |
Sonny Hayes |
 Damson Idris |
Joshua Pierce |
 Javier Bardem |
Unnamed F1 team-owner |
 Tobias Menzies |
Unconfirmed |
 Kerry Condon |
Unconfirmed |
 Lewis Hamilton |
Producer (and may appear as himself in a cameo) |
The team and the car
Pitt and Idris’ characters will be drivers for APXGP – a fictional eleventh team on the current F1 grid.
Contrary to some previous suggestions, Brad Pitt will not be driving a real F1 car, instead using a modified F2 car that has been adapted by Mercedes and complete with sponsor stickers from Tommy Hilfiger, MSC Cruises and AMG Mercedes.
Before filming began at last year’s British Grand Prix, the car was seen running on track in private sessions, which appear to have been to get the stars used to the cars: they will share driving duties with stunt drivers.
The Apex team were also given a full garage and pitwall in between Mercedes and Ferrari, allowing them to capture true-to-life pitlane shots.
Both APXGP cars also lined up for the parade lap ahead of the British Grand Prix before pulling off before the start of the race. They were most likely driven by a qualified stunt driver in order to minimise the risk of interfering with the start of the actual race.
