Pitt’s Formula 1 bombshell leaves Hollywood and the paddock reeling – F1 Movie is a multimillion-dollar reality that has just exploded across cinema screens, and by the looks of things, Apple TV+’s accounting spreadsheets too. The long-awaited film F1, directed by Top Gun: Maverick maestro Joseph Kosinski, starring Brad Pitt as a seasoned racing veteran, was released in cinemas on 25 June and has already shifted into high gear at the box office.

And now, just days after its theatrical debut, Apple is reportedly considering a sequel. Because, of course, they are. With Brad Pitt’s smile in a fireproof suit and a billion-dollar sport as the backdrop, why wouldn’t they?

 

A Hollywood blockbuster goes full throttle

Kosinski’s film has been hyped not just as another dramatic sports film, but as a true love letter to Formula 1. That may sound like press-kit fluff, but this time it’s true. Actual race weekend footage from the 2023 and 2024 seasons was woven into the fabric of the film, with shots taken during practice and qualifying sessions lending authenticity.

There’s none of that CGI nonsense here. We’re talking real rubber, real asphalt and real egos, just the way fans like it.

The budget? A cool £180 million, according to Variety. This puts F1 in the same league as superhero epics and interstellar sci-fi sagas. But instead of capes and aliens, the stars here are carbon fibre monocoques, pit lane politics and the kind of helmet hair that only a professional stylist, or Brad Pitt, could survive.

 

Apple’s gamble finally pays off

Apple TV+ has spent the last six years trying to prove that it’s more than just a home for earnest dramas and tech bro fantasies. And with F1, it seems they’ve finally got their blockbuster moment.

According to Variety, the film raked in an impressive €124 million globally during its opening weekend. That’s not just success, it’s a champagne-spraying, trophy-hoisting, Monaco-bunting kind of win.

David A. Gross, the man behind film consultancy FranchiseRe, declared that F1 will be “by far Apple TV+’s biggest box office hit”. The tone was less one of surprise and more of relief. After years of investing in prestige programming and Oscar bait, Apple’s leap into high-octane motorsport is being hailed as a stroke of commercial genius.

 

A new franchise is born? Sequel talks already in gear?

No great Hollywood success is complete without someone whispering ‘franchise’, and reports have already surfaced suggesting that Apple TV+ is exploring a follow-up to F1. According to Variety’s sources, discussions are underway, though whether Brad Pitt would return to squeeze back into his bespoke racing suit remains uncertain.

After all, he’s 61, though judging by how he handles a car (and a camera), you wouldn’t know it.

Still, the allure is clear. The first film allowed viewers to ride shotgun with Pitt’s fictional racer across real F1 tracks, immersing them in the sport’s speed, stakes and swagger. A sequel could delve deeper into the rivalries and team politics, and who knows, maybe Lewis Hamilton himself could make a cameo appearance.

After all, he served as a consultant on the original film. Yes, in case you missed it, Sir Lewis was involved. Naturally. If there’s a camera, a contract and an opportunity to improve F1’s image in the post-Horner era, Lewis will already be halfway through his second outfit change.

 

Pitt said, “My head was about to come off”

If there’s one person more stunned than the audience, it might just be Brad Pitt himself. While doing press for the film, he couldn’t contain his excitement (or mild panic) over the experience.

“These vehicles are so powerful that you feel like your head is going to come off your body,” he said.

“The power of these cars is mind-boggling, and I’ve never experienced such an adrenaline rush.”

That’s quite a statement, coming from an actor who has played everyone from Achilles to an astronaut. But it makes sense. Formula 1 is a sport that blurs the line between human and machine, and Pitt, who trained with real racing professionals, got a crash course in its brutal physics.

This wasn’t a leisurely afternoon in a simulator. He was filmed inside a real F2 car, modified to resemble an F1 beast, as he hit apexes on circuits such as Silverstone and Spa, with cars flying past him at 200 mph. If method acting had a Michelin rating, Pitt would earn three stars.

 

The Curious Case of a Streaming Strategy That Worked

For Apple TV+, this project represents more than just a box-office win, it’s a strategic validation. While Netflix dominates the docuseries space with Drive to Survive, Apple has taken a different approach with scripted drama and, by all accounts, has succeeded.

They bypassed traditional promotion in favour of leveraging the sport’s global fanbase. They used Formula 1 weekends to promote the film with on-site production, even delaying on-track sessions in 2023 to allow the Pittmobile to be photographed.

This is not just synergy; it is Apple effectively turning the Formula 1 calendar into a multi-million-dollar soundstage.

And it worked. Even sceptics within the racing community have had to admit that the film offers a genuinely respectful portrayal of their world, more Senna than Speed Racer, even if the storyline is rather formulaic (pun intended).

 

From the grandstands to the green light

So where do we go from here? If the rumours from the Apple boardroom are to be believed, the next stop might just be another instalment. But a sequel raises big questions: Will Pitt’s character go full Niki Lauda and join a rival team? Will we see flashbacks of his fictional career racing against legends like Schumacher and Häkkinen? Or will Kosinski and his team shift the spotlight to a new protagonist, perhaps someone younger, faster and more popular on TikTok?

Whatever the case, one thing is clear: F1 is no longer just a sport or a documentary genre, it’s cinema. It’s big, loud, premium-priced cinema, with Brad Pitt’s golden grin and a fireproof suit at the wheel. The announcement may have taken us all by surprise, but the chequered flag has barely dropped. In this race, the sequel might arrive faster than DRS on a straight.

Stay tuned. Or, as they say in Monaco, prenez garde, the Hollywood peloton is closing in.

 

MORE F1 NEWS – Verstappen ultimatum BOMBSHELL over Horner

The pressure is mounting at Red Bull Racing, and it isn’t just coming from McLaren’s recent success in Austria. Following Max Verstappen’s shocking retirement from the race at the Red Bull Ring, thanks to a clumsy manoeuvre by Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli, attention has shifted from the racetrack to the team garage. According to emerging reports, the most explosive fallout yet could be looming behind the scenes.

The reigning champion’s entourage has reportedly issued a bold ultimatum: if Red Bull want to keep Verstappen, they may have to let Horner go — or at least rein him in.

 

McLaren Takes Control, Red Bull Left Reeling

The Austrian Grand Prix was supposed to be a homecoming celebration for Red Bull. Instead, it became a grim metaphor for the team’s 2025 season. Just three corners into the race, Verstappen’s RB21 was already limping back to the garage with terminal damage, the result of Antonelli misjudging the brake zone and turning Verstappen into a passenger.

Meanwhile, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri secured a dominant one-two finish for McLaren, further exacerbating the internal fractures and waning competitiveness of a team already struggling.

As Verstappen watched the chequered flag from the pit wall, rumours began to circulate…READ MORE ON THIS STORY