The F1 film that hopes to thrill motorsport fans

Formula 1 is one of the biggest motorsport competitions in the world – and now, a cinematic take on this adrenaline-fuelled world is gearing up to capture that intensity for moviegoers and motorsport enthusiasts alike.

The film in question, simply called F1, follows a former driver named Sonny Hayes (played by Brad Pitt), who returns to Formula 1 racing to compete alongside hotshot rookie Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris) at the fictional team APXGP.

Director Joseph Kosinski was determined to capture the high-speed intensity of Formula 1 on screen. He turned to seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton for guidance. It was Hamilton’s former boss, Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff, who suggested using real racing cars.

The production team acquired six real Formula 2 cars and collaborated with the Mercedes F1 team and its engineers to modify them into race-ready cars capable of carrying cameras, recorders, and transmitters. To ensure these cars could match the performance of F1 cars, Kosinski and his crew adapted the camera technology used in Top Gun: Maverick, working closely with Sony to shrink the cameras to about a quarter of their original size, making them much lighter.

Most of the racing scenes were shot at actual Formula 1 events, using real tracks and paddocks alongside professional F1 teams and drivers. The crew filmed extensively at the iconic Silverstone Circuit during the 2023 and 2024 British Grand Prix weekends, with Pitt and Idris driving the cars themselves. Other featured tracks include Daytona, Hungary, Spa (Belgium), Monza (Italy), Zandvoort (Netherlands), Japan, Las Vegas, Abu Dhabi, and Mexico City.

Limited-edition Mercedes-AMG GT pays tribute to a fake Formula 1 team

The Mercedes-AMG GT APXGP Edition will be built in limited numbers to celebrate the new F1 movie.

This is the new Mercedes-AMG GT APXGP Edition, a limited-run version of the Porsche 911 alternative which has been created for the F1 film.

The Mercedes Formula 1 team offered support to the film crew, as well as supplying multiple cars to appear on screen including an SL, a G Glass and an AMG GT. Just 52 APXGP Editions will be built, however there’s no word on price just yet.

New Mercedes-AMG GT APXGP Edition: what’s new?

Design is pretty much the only thing separating the APXGP edition from a standard Mercedes-AMG GT; it gets plenty of gold accents.

The 21-inch forged wheels are finished in matt gold, as is the surround for the massive grille. You also get more gold on the front wings. There are numerous exterior livery designs to choose from as well, all based on the APXGP F1 car and all applied by hand.

Inside you get gold stitching on the seats and door cards, a panoramic glass roof and custom floor maps with the APXGP logo embroidered in them. Beyond this, you get a Burmester premium sound system, a 360-degree camera system and a head-up display.

New Mercedes-AMG GT APXGP Edition: engine and performance

The APXGP Edition is based on the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S, meaning it has a 585hp 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine and four-wheel drive. It’ll do 0-60 in around 3.2 seconds, and the top speed is pegged at 196 mph.

New Mercedes-AMG GT APXGP Edition: how much is it?

Good question. Mercedes hasn’t given a price for this car just yet, but given that just 52 will be made worldwide you can expect it to cost a fair amount more than the £170,000 you’ll pay for the standard AMG GT 63 S.

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