'F1' star Brad Pitt on getting behind the wheel as Sonny Hayes: He’s a pure racer

Hollywood star Brad Pitt is stepping back into the fast lane with F1 The Movie. The film, directed by Top Gun: Maverick’s Joseph Kosinski, sees Pitt portraying a fallen Formula 1 prodigy Sonny Hayes, making an unexpected return to the track. As the film gets into gear for its highly anticipated theatrical debut, Pitt got candid about the role that he says he deeply connected with.“He’s a pure racer,” Pitt says of his character, Hayes. “He’s there for the love. He washed out of F1 at a young age, and had thought he had made his peace with that dragon—until this opportunity comes along from his old friend.”Dubbed “the greatest that never was,” Sonny Hayes was one of Formula 1’s most promising talents in the 1990s until a career-ending accident forced him off the grid.

Decades later, he’s pulled back into the sport by former teammate Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem), now the owner of a last-place team desperate for revival. Pitt revealed that the character of Sonny was developed through in-depth conversations with real-life Formula 1 drivers. “We had the luxury of interviewing drivers as we developed the story,” he said and added, “You can be one of the best in the world, but being stuck at the back of the grid is still demoralising.”

Drawing from these insights, Pitt helped shape a character who has been humbled by failure but remains fiercely confident in his skill. “He’s a risk-taking cowboy who never quite made it, but now he’s pouring every ounce of racecraft he’s learned into this one last shot.”The film, promises not just thrilling action, but a deeply personal story of redemption, resilience, and the raw love of the race. According to reports, the movie which also stars Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies, and Kim Bodnia, was shot during real Grand Prix weekends, in turn seeing Pitt getting behind the wheel at the actual F1 races and competing alongside the track legends.F1 The Movie will be released in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu.