Washington DC [US], March 17: Bridgerton star Simone Ashley, who is set to star alongside Brad Pitt in the high-octane racing drama F1, has described her experience on set as “amazing” and “adrenaline” filled. The film, directed by Top Gun: Maverick’s Joseph Kosinski, features a star-studded cast, including Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies, Lewis Hamilton, Javier Bardem, and Sarah Niles, with Brad Pitt in the lead role.
Speaking to Who What Wear for a cover story, Ashley shared the intense rush of filming the movie alongside real Grand Prix races. The star explained that the shoot was fast-paced and required teamwork, as some scenes had only one take due to the proximity to the actual races.
“You had to work as a team. Sometimes, we literally had one take for certain shots. Like, you’d see on the call sheet eight minutes to get this one thing because we were shooting alongside the races,” Ashley said. “It was amazing, the adrenaline. It was kind of like theater. It felt so live … You hear the crowd and the fireworks and the cars. Everything’s just so fast-paced and noisy, and we’re all together as a little unit. It was just one of the craziest things I think I’ve ever been part of.”
The actress expressed gratitude for being part of a film starring Brad Pitt and Damson Idris, acknowledging the long process due to strikes and delays. “Obviously, with the strikes and delays, we finally wrapped in Abu Dhabi in December. It’s been a long time, and you know, it’s Damson and Brad’s movie. I’m just so grateful that I can be part of it, and yeah, we’ve toured with the Grand Prix. We were filming at the real races,” she shared.
In F1, Pitt plays a former Formula One driver, Sonny Hayes, who comes out of retirement to mentor a fellow driver, Joshua Pearce, portrayed by Idris. Together, they join the fictional APXGP team and compete against the titans of the sport. The movie was filmed during actual Grand Prix weekends, adding authenticity to the racing action.
F1 is set to release in theatres worldwide on June 27, 2025.