“Top Gun: Maverick” Director Joseph Kosinski Talks “F1”: See the Trailer

After watching an F1 race — whether it’s in Abu Dhabi or Monza — linger in the stands: you might catch a glimpse of Brad Pitt speeding around the track.

For the upcoming Apple Original picture, F1, director Joseph Kosinski transformed various Formula One tracks into film sets. Packed with A-list action films like Top Gun: Maverick, Kosinski’s resume brings ample expertise to the high-voltage plot. “It was an adrenaline rush every weekend,” says Kosinski. “We’d get these 10 or 15 minute slots, where we’d have to have Brad [Pitt] and Damson [Idris] ready in the cars, warmed up with hot tires ready to go. As soon as practice ended, they would pull out onto the track. We’d have 24, 30 cameras ready, rolling, and I’d have to shoot these scenes in these very short, intense, high-speed windows. But the crowd you’re seeing was really there in the stands.”

F1 chronicles a comeback, following the once-promising racer Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt), as he links up with former teammate Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem) in a last-ditch effort to reverse the ailing fortunes of Cervantes’ F1 team. Also on the team is the shiny and successful rookie Joshua Pierce (Damson Idris), whose racing prowess only accelerates the action.

Slated for a June 27 release, the film is a rip roaring, edge-of-your-seat affair. With seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton as producer, F1 captures the competition’s unique, dynamic energy on every track. Hamilton was “instrumental” in the production process, Kosinski adds, lending a hand with everything from driving lessons to authenticity checks. In fact, Hamilton put Kosinski in touch with the Mercedes-AMG Formula One team and engineers to build a true-to-life race car — decked out with the proper camera equipment — for the film.

On screen, behind-the-scenes workers are just as crucial as the drivers themselves. “There literally are thousands of people at the factory working on these cars,” Kosinski explains. “A lot of the parts are literally manufactured days before the race and put on the car. So, that was the other aspect that I wanted this film to capture: not just the story of the drivers, but the engineers, the team principles, the team owners, all the people who bring this sport to life.”

That said, the film isn’t just for diehard fans. F1 is an underdog’s redemption arc; it’s a classic tale that resonates with a wide audience. “If you’re a Formula One fan, I think you’re gonna like this movie. If you don’t know anything about Formula One, I think you’re gonna like this movie,” says Kosinski. “We’ll teach you everything you need to enjoy this thing.” Producer Lewis Hamilton agrees, adding that F1 features drama, humour, and a hint of romance — alongside a heavy dose of action, to be sure.

As one might expect from the Top Gun: Maverick director, F1 is saturated with sound. Right down to the roaring engines, F1 maintains an authentic portrayal. “We have a sound designer, Al Nelson, also from Top Gun: Maverick — you’re seeing a theme here, I guess in terms of collaborators — he was there at the track, recording all the real sounds of the real cars,” explains Kosinski. “We got microphones on the real F1 cars, which was, as you can imagine, very difficult to do because they count every gram that they put on those cars. So, getting our recorders on the real cars was a huge aspect of getting it right.”

Meanwhile, Hans Zimmer — another Top Gun: Maverick collaborator — returns to write an exhilarating score. Each note augments the action; crisp, high-def compositions accentuate the film’s tension-laced narrative. “What Hans does, few composers can do,” says Kosinski. “He can write a real theme, a real melody that you just can’t get out of your head.”

With a world class cast and globe-trotting set, F1 is (no pun intended) a true victory lap. Advised by a slew of decorated competitive drivers, the film offers unparalleled access to the upper echelon of motorsports, promising to render every thrill with a hair-raising realism.

F1 will be in theatres on June 27, 2025.

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