Filming During Real Grand Prix Weekends F1
F1 (2025) was the first major Hollywood feature to embed a production crew inside live Formula One race weekends. The fictional APXGP team occupied a real garage in the paddock, functioned as a fictional eleventh team on the grid, and captured footage during the compressed windows between practice sessions, qualifying rounds, and the races themselves. The approach required the cooperation of the FIA, Formula One Management, all ten real teams, and their drivers.
APXGP operated as a real team inside the paddock
The production designed APXGP's garage, motorhome, and pit wall equipment to match the standard of the ten real teams. Production designer Ben Munro built a garage structure that could be erected in nine days by the time the crew reached Abu Dhabi.
"By the time he and his team got to Abu Dhabi, they could construct it in nine days." — Ben Munro, The Hollywood Reporter (2025)
"We would look at the back of their garage, which is where the real information is. We had to sign NDAs with all the teams." — Ben Munro, The Hollywood Reporter (2025)
Brad Pitt participated in the drivers' briefing at Silverstone and stood alongside real drivers during the national anthem. The APXGP cars joined formation laps with stunt drivers at the wheel. (wikipedia)
Ten-minute windows with no grace period
Filming took place in the gaps between the real racing schedule — sessions before practice, between qualifying rounds, or in brief windows after the Grand Prix. The crew typically had ten to twenty minutes on track before the cars had to clear for the real competition.
"They don't give you grace. If you're not done in 10 minutes, you have to get the car off the track. There were scenes we shot that we had one chance to get, and that was nerve-wracking." — Claudio Miranda, IndieWire (2025)
"We actually shot three scenes back-to-back in about 15 minutes." — Joseph Kosinski, Variety (2025)
The approach demanded theatrical readiness from the cast. Kerry Condon described Kosinski's warning about the live-performance quality of the work.
"We were a guest of Formula One, and we were a film crew infiltrating their actual job." — Kerry Condon, Deadline (2025)
"You've got to be ready. There's nobody waiting for you." — Kerry Condon, Deadline (2025)
The Formula One paddock had to be convinced to cooperate
The production's access was not guaranteed. Hamilton's dual role as producer and seven-time champion was essential to unlocking the paddock's cooperation.
"There was some hesitation within the sport initially — there's never been a feature film shot during a racing season before." — Lewis Hamilton, The Hollywood Reporter (2025)
"Full credit has to go to the Formula One organization for allowing us that level of access." — Gary Powell, The Credits (2025)
"It wouldn't have been achievable without that." — Gary Powell, The Credits (2025)
The crew kept its footprint small to avoid disrupting the sport's operations.
"We kept it small and played nicely. We weren't trying to be 'Big Hollywood' in their world." — Claudio Miranda, The Wrap (2025)
The SAG-AFTRA strike extended the production across two seasons
Principal photography began at Silverstone during the 2023 British Grand Prix (July 7-9). The SAG-AFTRA strike, which began the following week, prevented cast filming at most 2023 race weekends. The production extended into the 2024 season to capture missed events, transforming what was planned as a single-season shoot into a two-year production embedded across both the 2023 and 2024 Formula One World Championships. (wikipedia)
Driving sequences were typically captured around 3:00 a.m. local time
At many circuits, the modified F2 cars ran in the early hours of the morning when the track was clear of Formula One activity. A camera-mounted Lola B2K/10 served as the filming chase car but failed mechanically by Hungary; one of the GP3-engined APXGP cars took over camera duties for the remainder of the production. (wikipedia)