The Real Circuits F1

F1 (2025) was filmed at eight Formula One circuits during the 2023 and 2024 World Championships, plus additional circuits used for testing, training, and standing in for locations the crew could not access during live race weekends. The production also used non-circuit locations including McLaren Technology Centre, Williams, and Mercedes' Brackley headquarters for team-base interiors.

Silverstone: where it all began

Principal photography launched at the Silverstone Circuit during the 2023 British Grand Prix weekend (July 7-9). Silverstone serves as APXGP's home circuit in the film and hosts both the Commitment scene where Sonny puts the helmet on (beat 8) and the British Grand Prix race where both Apex drivers wreck fighting each other for last place (beats 10–11).b8 b10 b111 The circuit also doubled for Monza in several cast scenes — the SAG-AFTRA strike and scheduling conflicts prevented a return to Italy, so vehicle-mounted array scanning from Monza was used to create digital Italian environments that replaced the Silverstone backgrounds in post-production. (wikipedia)

"You just can't fake the speed and action of Formula 1. Brad and Damson are driving the cars travelling at ridiculous speeds around these tracks." — Joseph Kosinski, Formula1.com (2025)

Hungaroring: the rope-a-dope safety car

The Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring (beat 14) is where Sonny manufactures a cascade of safety cars — clipping Magnussen, dragging blue-flag traffic and clipping a wing again, then running Williams off track — and Joshua finishes P10 for APXGP's first-ever championship point.b14 The Lola B2K/10 chase car failed mechanically at Hungary, forcing one of the APXGP cars to take over camera duties. (wikipedia)

Spa-Francorchamps: Joshua crashes into Sonny on the Kemmel Straight

The Belgian Grand Prix at Spa (beat 22) hosts the confrontation where Joshua deliberately drives into Sonny at the chicane on the Kemmel Straight, taking both cars out.b22 Spa's famous Eau Rouge-Raidillon complex provided some of the film's most dramatic high-speed footage.

Brands Hatch: doubling for Monza's Parabolica

Brands Hatch in Kent was used for the Monza crash sequence (beat 17) — Joshua's high-speed crash into the barrier after attacking early in turn 11.b172 The kerbs at turns 6 and 8 were repainted to match sections of Monza. The first corner was used for the big crash scene; when the film switches to Pitt's POV, the location is turn 6 (Westfield) at Brands Hatch. Digital environment replacement transformed the English countryside into the Italian circuit. (motorsport.com)

Zandvoort and the unnamed circuits: the combat upgrade montage

The Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort appears in the recovery-races montage around beat 20, where Sonny scores points alone while Joshua is sidelined.b203 Additional circuits used during the montage are unnamed in the film.

Las Vegas Strip Circuit: the most dangerous filming location

The Las Vegas Strip Circuit — a street circuit with concrete walls and no gravel runoff — was the location Jerry Bruckheimer (F1) described as the scariest for the production team.4 Kosinski described the cold tires and slippery conditions of filming on the Strip.

"It was cold, the tires were cold, it was slippery... that kind of pressure was high pressure for sure." — Joseph Kosinski, Screen Rant (2025)

Brad Pitt appreciated the setting's visual drama.

"That was kind of cool man, to go down the strip with the lights." — Brad Pitt, Formula1.com (2025)

Yas Marina: the Abu Dhabi finale

See The Abu Dhabi Finale for full coverage. The production filmed at Yas Marina across 29 days and three separate shoots, including footage captured during the real 2023 and 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekends with live crowds and fireworks.

Additional circuits and locations

Circuit/Location Use in Production
Paul Ricard, France Actor driving training
Circuit of the Americas, Austin 2021 scouting visit; additional filming
Suzuka, Japan Grand Prix weekend filming
Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Mexico Grand Prix weekend filming
Daytona International Speedway Opening sequence (24 Hours of Daytona)
McLaren Technology Centre APXGP team headquarters interior
Williams Wind tunnel scenes
Mercedes, Brackley Simulator scenes

(wikipedia, formula1.com)

At the 2024 24 Hours of Daytona, the Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R and Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 ran fictional "Chip Hart Racing" liveries for the opening sequence. (wikipedia)

  1. NEEDS DELETION — flagged by /cite-to-backbeats on 2026-05-09. Original: "the British Grand Prix disaster of beat 10, where Sonny's car stalls and both drivers crash out." Beat 10 is Sonny's solo race-within-a-race at Silverstone (no stall described); the double-DNF is beat 11. Replaced in place; "car stalls" detail is not in beats and needs SRT verification before being asserted. ↩

  2. NEEDS DELETION — flagged by /cite-to-backbeats on 2026-05-09. Original: "Monza crash sequence (beat 18) — Joshua's fiery collision with Verstappen." The Monza crash is beat 17 (beat 18 is the hospital corridor); beat 17 describes Joshua attacking early in turn 11 and losing the car at high speed into the barrier — there is no claim that the crash is caused by collision with Verstappen. Replaced in place. ↩

  3. NEEDS DELETION — flagged by /cite-to-backbeats on 2026-05-09. Original: "the montage around beat 21." Beat 21 is Joshua returning at Spa; the recovery-races montage is beat 20. Beat number corrected; "Kate's upgraded car" framing also stretches b20 (which doesn't specify the upgrade is in use during the montage). ↩

  4. NEEDS DELETION — flagged by /cite-to-backbeats on 2026-05-09. Original: "Sonny's Las Vegas crash (beat 27) was set here." Beat 27 is Pippa loading the Monza recording; there is no Las Vegas crash in the beats. The Las Vegas circuit appears in production-side accounts but no Sonny crash there is established in the beats. Sentence removed in place; flagging for owner review. ↩

Sources