Abu Dhabi [UAE], July 3: Hollywood star Brad Pitt and director Joseph Kosinski have called their experience filming F1: The Movie during the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix a groundbreaking moment in motorsport cinema, Variety reported.
A new promotional video from the Abu Dhabi Film Commission and Creative Media Authority showcases the ambitious production, which filmed at the iconic Yas Marina Circuit. Pitt, his co-star Damson Idris, and the team spent 29 days shooting in Abu Dhabi across three phases, collaborating with local production house Epic Films.
Remarkably, the film integrated actual race-day footage from live Formula 1 events, including the British Grand Prix, the Rolex 24 at Daytona, and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix—making it one of the first features to weave real F1 action into its narrative.
Director Joseph Kosinski, known for Top Gun: Maverick, praised Yas Marina Circuit as an “ideal place to film,” highlighting its distinct visuals and production value. He also lauded the cooperation from all ten F1 teams, which allowed unprecedented access to shoot during a live race: “To have all ten teams allow us to shoot a scene for an hour—that was a really incredible experience.”
Brad Pitt, who stars and produces the film, described stepping into the world of Formula 1 as “just amazing,” adding, “We had every car in their team. It was like creating an 11th team on the grid.”
Executive producer Tim Bampton emphasized the complexity of integrating a fictional team into an actual F1 pit lane, calling it an “unprecedented endeavour.”
F1: The Movie premiered in the Middle East at Yas Marina Circuit on June 26 and recorded a USD 2.7 million opening in the UAE, making it the biggest-ever regional debut for both a Brad Pitt film and an Apple-backed release.
The film’s success comes as Abu Dhabi continues to position itself as a global filmmaking hub, recently expanding its film rebate scheme to offer up to 50% reimbursement on qualified production costs. The emirate has previously hosted major Hollywood and Bollywood productions, including Dune: Part Two, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, Furious 7, Tiger Zinda Hai, and Vikram Vedha.