When Tom Cruise and the actors of Top Gun: Maverick put viewers inside the cockpit of fighter jets, they were astounded. Currently, F1 director Joseph Kosinski is advancing the remarkable technology in the film. In the Brad Pitt-directed film, the actor plays a former Formula One racer who, after a long break, decides to return to the sport. Kosinski enlisted the assistance of Lewis Hamilton during the filming, in addition to working closely with Formula One and its teams. Additionally, it seems that he was essential to the manufacturing.
With more than a hundred victories under his belt in his Formula One career, Lewis Hamilton has been heralded as the greatest driver the circuit has ever seen. He produces F1 and plays himself in the movie, but he’s also getting credit for being a major contributor to the creation of what’s turning become one of the most anticipated films of 2025. Joseph Kosinski recently shared details on how he went about finding the racing legend for the movie:
Three years ago, I made my first contact with him. I understood that someone on the team who truly lives it every day would be crucial to helping us make it as authentic as possible. Lewis has been a wonderful collaborator; in between races, he jumps on Zooms with me to really go over the script, line by line, turn by turn, tire compound by tire compound, you know, just to make sure we are hitting all the minutiae. In addition, he offers help from a creative and narrative standpoint.
Lewis Hamilton’s creative participation seems to be providing Formula One fans with a deep (and accurate) look into the driving world. This connection might have resulted from an almost-collaborative effort a few years ago. Hamilton, who has been close friends with Tom Cruise since 2015, even had a role offer for Top Gun: Maverick. He felt unprepared to act, though, and didn’t have the time to commit to the necessary training, so he decided to decline it. Thus, despite not being able to pilot the Formula Champion in a fighter plane, the Oblivion helmer was able to collaborate intimately on this racing epic.
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who also works for Maverick Pictures, discussed his personal ideas for the next film including Formula One in a joint interview with Joseph Kosinski for Deadline. Additionally, he was very complimentary of the 39-year-old English racer who advised the design team:
Lewis is actually where it all begins. If you approach it correctly, it’s not as hard as you may imagine. From Lewis, we went to Mercedes, and from Mercedes, we received the car. Subsequently, we visited with [FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem], Stefano [Domenicali, CEO of Formula One Group], and the principals of each team. Every driver has been met with in order to inform them of our actions. Almost every Formula 1 driver we met with was present.
Joseph Kosinski, who added that “we’re the eleventh team” throughout development, stated that F1 was produced in close collaboration with Formula One. During the three months of filming, Brad Pitt and co-star Damson Idris drove cars, starting in Formula Three and eventually transitioning to Formula Two. The actors’ skills apparently also impressed Lewis Hamilton, who described them as “natural athletes” and “really impressed with.” Here is the first Formula One trailer:
Brad Pitt plays Sonny Hayes, a prominent Formula One racer in the 1990s who was forced to retire from the sport due to a serious accident. He returns to the game, nevertheless, when buddy and team owner Ruben (Javier Bardem) urges Hayes to come out of retirement to teach Joshua Pierce, played by Damson Idris. Shea Wingham, Tobias Menzies, Kim Bodnia, and Kerry Condon are also in the cast. The most recent confirmation of Simone Ashley’s casting as a Bridgerton fan favorite came from elsewhere.
What we’ve seen of Formula One thus far is truly amazing. Furthermore, one would assume that Lewis Hamilton’s comments were genuinely beneficial to the production after hearing Joseph Kosinski and Jerry Bruckheimer’s opinions. When the completed production opens in theaters on June 27, 2025, it will be fascinating to watch!