Abu Dhabi shines in F1 trailer starring Brad Pitt: Director Joseph Kosinski on bringing real racing action

Brad Pitt fans, buckle up—he’s living life in the fast lane in F1, where he trades Hollywood for high-speed thrills as a professional car driver.

With the trailer now out, the buzz is real. Directed by Top Gun: Maverick filmmaker Joseph Kosinski, the film was shot at actual Formula One circuits, including Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit, during live race weekends. By filming between real Grand Prix sessions, F1 isn’t just about speed—it’s about bringing audiences straight onto the track.

In the film, Pitt plays Sonny Hayes, a former F1 driver who makes a shocking return to the grid years after a brutal crash. Recruited by Javier Bardem’s character—the owner of the fictional APXGP team—Hayes is paired with rookie driver Joshua Pearce, played by Damson Idris. Together, the unlikely duo must push their struggling team up the ranks in the ultra-competitive world of Formula One.

Directed by Top Gun: Maverick filmmaker Joseph Kosinski, F1 was shot at actual Formula One circuits, including Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit, during live race weekends. By filming between real Grand Prix sessions, the film isn’t just about speed—it’s about bringing audiences straight onto the track.

Joseph Kosinski, who is known for his immersive storytelling, said that filming in real F1 environments was critical to the film’s authenticity.

"The tracks, the location is one thing, but on Race Weekend, it just becomes this whole different world. It’s like a traveling circus. So we couldn’t just shoot at the track without the race going on—it would’ve been the wrong dynamic," he explained.

This meant working within strict time constraints, often having just minutes to capture key shots.

"We were actually there on race weekend with hundreds of thousands of people watching us, finding these time slots between practice and qualifying that Formula One graciously afforded us. We’d get these 10 or 15-minute slots where we’d have to have Brad 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."

Unlike a traditional movie set, where scenes are meticulously planned and reshot multiple times, F1 was filmed in a live race environment. The crowds at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit and other global tracks were real, adding an electrifying energy to the production.

"The crowd you’re seeing was really there in the stands. I don’t think the crowd realized that Brad Pitt was in the car that was in front of them. And so there was definitely this heightened quality to every race. We were also shooting dramatic scenes on the grid before races, so it was a very unique way of working," Kosinski said.

Shooting at such high speeds left no room for error.

"We had these nine or 10-minute slots, so it was like a live stage play, but in front of hundreds of thousands of people, shooting at 180 miles an hour, literally. So it was an adrenaline rush every weekend, but what we captured is something you can’t fake, you can’t stage. It’s really happening, and I think the audience will see that."

The real-race setting also put added pressure on the actors, including Brad Pitt and Damson Idris, who play drivers in the film. Kosinski recalled the intensity of their first day of shooting at Silverstone.

"It was like game day," he said. "I remember our first day shooting at Silverstone with Javier [Bardem], Brad, and Tobias Menzies. I literally had a piece of paper that looked like an American football diagram of where everyone had to stand and walk. We looked at it and it was like, ‘Break, let’s go do this.’ And yeah, I think we got three takes in seven minutes or something and got what you see in the film."

Because there was no time for multiple takes, the actors had to deliver under extreme conditions.

"You feel that in their performance. They know it’s like, ‘We’re not going to get 15 tries at it. You got to nail it.’"

To capture the action from the driver’s perspective, Kosinski and his team pushed filmmaking technology further than ever before. They developed a custom camera system, building on their experience from Top Gun: Maverick, but scaling it down to fit inside real race cars.

"We had to develop a brand-new camera system, taking everything we learned on Top Gun: Maverick and pushing it much further. You can’t put 60 pounds of gear onto a race car and expect it’s going to perform the same way. So we worked closely with Sony, sizing the cameras down to something about a quarter of the size," Kosinski explained.

They also introduced remote-controlled motorized mounts so the cameras could move dynamically while the cars were in motion.

"We’ve got transmitters controlling the movement of the camera. I’m sitting at the base station with Claudio [Miranda, cinematographer] looking at 16 screens. I’ve got camera operators on the controls for the cameras, and it’s calling out camera moves like a live television show while they’re shooting."

Unlike most Hollywood films, where actors rely on professional stunt drivers, F1 sees Brad Pitt and Damson Idris actually driving on real tracks.

"Yeah, it was hard to hear them. They’ve got a 700-horsepower engine right behind their head," Kosinski laughed.

But Pitt’s passion for speed meant he had to be reined in at times.

"Usually, it was the opposite—‘Slow down, please, Brad!’"

With its reputation as one of the most glamorous stops on the Formula One calendar, Abu Dhabi provided the perfect backdrop for some of F1’s most pivotal moments. Kosinski revealed that the film’s grand finale takes place at Yas Marina Circuit.

"Every F1 track has a unique character—Silverstone, where F1 started; Spa, winding through the forest; Las Vegas, a high-energy night race; and Abu Dhabi, where we end the film. By shooting at actual F1 races worldwide, the audience will feel like they’ve traveled the globe."

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has long been known for its spectacle, with its twilight start and dramatic title showdowns. That sense of high-stakes competition will now be immortalized on screen in F1.

"It was an amazing journey around the world, and I’m really excited for audiences to go on that journey with us."

F1 speeds into cinemas this June. Buckle up.