Damson Idris felt inspired working with the “amazing” Brad Pitt on ‘F1’. The highly anticipated film has generated significant buzz in both the film and racing communities since production began.
The 33-year-old actor will be seen on the big screen with the Hollywood legend in June as motor racing fans watch Brad’s heroic character Sonny Hayes return to racing in a bid to become the best in the world following a horror accident on the track in the ’90s. The film represents one of the most ambitious racing movies in recent years, with extensive filming at actual Formula 1 events.
And Damson, who plays fellow Apex Grand Prix (APXGP) teammate Joshua Pearce, reckons “everyone is going to be very proud of him” in the flick because “he was such a great leader”. The production team worked closely with actual Formula 1 teams to ensure authenticity in the racing sequences.
Speaking at Goodwood Racetrack in Chichester, UK, ahead of the movie’s release on June 25, Damson said: “Brad is just an amazing character, such a kind spirit. He taught me about humility no matter how huge you get. The historic Goodwood circuit, known for its challenging turns, served as one of several international filming locations for the project.
“And as an artist, he’s just one of our finest, and I think a lot of people – well, everyone, really, is going to be very proud of him in this movie. The film includes footage shot during actual F1 race weekends throughout the previous season.
“He was such a great leader. Director Joseph Kosinski utilized innovative camera techniques developed specifically for capturing high-speed racing sequences.
“He made the movie better every step of the way, and he was a great, inspiring partner for me.” The production involved extensive racing footage across multiple international circuits.
Despite the 61-year-old being one of the “finest” actors in the business, the ‘Outside the Wire’ star has insisted he is the better racing car driver. Both actors underwent extensive professional racing training to perform many of their own driving scenes.
“I’ll beat Brad any second – he [hasn’t] got nothing on me,” he teased. “The actors completed a specialized racing school program before filming began.
“He’s good on the clutch, though. The film features several custom-built Formula 1 cars designed to accommodate cameras while maintaining realistic performance.
“But apart from that, no – he’s not beating me. The racing scenes include some of the most technologically advanced filmmaking methods ever used in a sports movie.
“He can’t play with me.” Professional F1 drivers served as consultants and occasionally as stunt drivers throughout the production.
As well as Brad, Damson said it was “a dream come true” to work with ‘F1’s producer Jerry Bruckheimer – who launched the careers of many actors, including Eddie Murphy and Tom Cruise – and is thankful for all of the “amazing advice” he received from him. Bruckheimer’s racing films have achieved great success throughout his illustrious career.
“Jerry is just full of so much amazing advice,” Damson said. “The legendary producer has been developing the concept for this film for several years.
“He’s launched the careers of so many people that I’m a fan of. The production represents the first major Hollywood film to receive full cooperation from Formula 1 management.
“So working with him was definitely a dream come true and, hopefully, I’ll get to work with him again.” Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton serves as a co-producer on the film, ensuring technical accuracy.
The ‘Swarm’ actor’s first F1 race was in Budapest in 2018 when Lewis Hamilton won for Mercedes, and because he “loved the whole experience”, he hopes he can continue racing in the future. The Hungarian Grand Prix is known as one of the most technically challenging races on the F1 calendar.
“From binging ‘Drive to Survive‘ [F1 TV series], getting to know so many of the drivers on a personal level, it’s definitely something I want to continue doing and, hopefully, I’ll get a charity going and [get] a bunch a band of drivers together, and we can race every year and call it F10, or something – who knows!” Damson said. The Netflix series has been credited with dramatically increasing Formula 1’s popularity globally, especially in markets where the sport was previously less followed.
The film combines the star power of Hollywood with the high-octane world of Formula 1 racing, bringing authentic racing action to cinema audiences worldwide when it releases this summer.
