Brad Pitt, ‘F1’ director Joseph Kosinski hail filming during Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as ‘unprecedented endeavour’

ABU DHABI: Actor Brad Pitt and director Joseph Kosinski have praised their experience filming ‘F1: The Movie’ during the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, describing it as a landmark moment in motorsport cinema.

A newly released promotional video by the Abu Dhabi Film Commission and Creative Media Authority sheds light on the project’s ambitious production inside one of Formula 1’s most iconic venues, Yas Marina Circuit.

The production team, including Pitt and co-star Damson Idris, spent a cumulative 29 days shooting in Abu Dhabi across three phases, working alongside local production company Epic Films, according to Variety.

IMSA and Daytona International Speedway kick off the opening sequence in the new F1 movie starring Brad Pitt. Courtesy of Porsche, Director Joseph Kosinski walks through IMSA and Daytona International Speedway’s role in the film, featuring behind-the-scenes clips.

F1 is NOW… pic.twitter.com/1bMBBPuy19

— IMSA (@IMSA) June 30, 2025

Notably, the crew filmed during live racing at multiple Formula 1 events, including the British Grand Prix, the Rolex 24 at Daytona, and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, making F1 one of the first feature films to integrate actual race-day footage from a Formula 1 event.

Joseph Kosinski, best known for ‘Top Gun: Maverick’, praised Yas Marina Circuit as an “ideal place to film,” citing its visual uniqueness and high production value. “It’s such a distinct setting in such a beautiful location,” he said in the video, as quoted by Variety.

Kosinski also noted the unprecedented cooperation of all ten Formula 1 teams, allowing the filmmakers to shoot scenes during a live race. “To have all ten teams allow us to shoot a scene for an hour — that was a really incredible experience,” he added, as quoted by Variety.

Brad Pitt, who also serves as a producer on the film, described the venture into the Formula 1 world as “just amazing”. He emphasised the realism of the production setup and said, “We had every car in their team. It was like creating an 11th team on the grid.”

Tim Bampton, executive producer on the film, underscored the complexity of integrating a fictional team into an actual pit lane. “Bringing in a major movie production to create an 11th team in the pit lane was a really unprecedented endeavour,” Bampton said, as quoted by Variety.

‘F1: The Movie’ premiered in the Middle East at Yas Marina Circuit on June 26 and has seen strong box office results, especially in the United Arab Emirates. The film recorded a USD 2.7 million opening in the UAE, marking the biggest ever regional debut for a Brad Pitt film and for an Apple-backed title in the market.

The success of F1 aligns with Abu Dhabi’s ongoing strategy to attract large-scale international film productions. The emirate recently enhanced its film rebate scheme, offering up to 50 per cent reimbursement on qualified below-the-line expenditures starting January.

Abu Dhabi has previously hosted major Hollywood blockbusters, including ‘Dune: Part Two’, ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’, ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’, and ‘Furious 7’, alongside major Bollywood productions like ‘Tiger Zinda Hai’ and ‘Vikram Vedha’. (ANI)