‘It Was a Do-or-Die Environment’: ‘F1’ Cast and Crew Talk Behind-the-Scenes Details of the Action-Packed Racing Film

Following a London screening of “F1” hosted by Apple Original films and in partnership with Variety, the cast, crew and producers of the action-packed blockbuster discussed behind-the-scenes details on the film’s creation, including how the production got the real Formula One on board, the painstaking process of ensuring the sport was accurately depicted and more. 

“If there’s a theme to take away, it’s the high degree of difficulty threshold that practically every single component of this film had to clear in order for the thing to exist,” said producer Jeremy Kleiner on the film’s highly technical production. And though the film is scripted, Kleiner pointed out that the integration of an unscripted real world event — a Grand Prix — posed a logistical challenge to the entire team. “I don’t know of a lot of films that were made in the middle of the Wimbledon final…There was a lot of pressure. It was a do-or-die environment.”

Adding to the pressure was the fact that the actors themselves were driving the cars, explained producer Jerry Bruckheimer: “This is the real thing. They trained for four months, first on an F4 car, F3 and then finally into our F1 body with an F2 engine.” That also meant the sound team needed to swap out the engine noises, since audiences needed to hear the sounds of the F1 engines. “Our fabulous sound team had to go around to nine different tracks,” continued Bruckheimer. “There are four different engines on these cars and [we had to] record every one of them to make this as authentic as it has become.”

Kerry Condon, who plays race director Kate McKenna, shadowed real-life Formula One strategy analyst Bernie Collins on set to aid in her own authenticity. “She was very good at not overwhelming me and just doing it scene by scene, explaining the wind tunnels, the scene,” said Condon, who also noted she’d “steal things” from Collins, making note of how she would sit and what she would do first to add to the performance. 

Furthermore, the film required the cooperation of the real Formula One, which Bruckheimer explained came once they showed them a reel from how they had integrated different planes on his previous action film, “Top Gun: Maverick.” “The last thing they need is some Hollywood company to come in there and hurt their brand,” said Bruckheimer. “It really took us almost a year to get them to feel comfortable.” 

With the trust of the business behind them, the team focused too on depicting the sport in a way that would feel real to the drivers themselves. To aid in the process, the crew worked with Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton to ensure accuracy, enlisting his opinion on engine noises, driving strategists and other details.

In the end, it all paid off: “As proud and pleased and grateful as I was when this film was finished and really felt like we nailed it, the film went to Monaco to play for the drivers, and I think a few of us were very nervous,” explained Al Nelson, one of the film’s supervising sound editors. “And I remember reaching out to Joe after the screening and saying, ‘What are the notes?’ He said they loved it. And that felt so good, to play it for Formula One drivers and for them to say, ‘That’s our movie.’”