It was Netflix’s behind-the-scenes look at Formula One (F1) in the docuseries Drive To Survive that cemented actor Damson Idris’ status as a fan of the motorsport – well, that and the fact that he’s been driving at various Grand Prix weekends.
The Snowfall and Black Mirror star has been filming the new F1 movie, which merges Hollywood with the high-stakes sport, alongside Brad Pitt over the past two years. From what I’ve seen so far from the thrilling F1 movie trailer, it looks like it’s going to be a bit of a spectacle.
As the film’s premiere date creeps closer, it’s not just F1 fans who have a sneak peek of the action anymore. Idris has also revisited one of the many racecourses from the movie to show what it was like filming fast-paced driving scenes with thousands of spectators watching.
Stepping back inside a Mercedes-AMG GLE 63S, which he drove in the movie with stunt driver Elliott Cole on Goodwood Circuit in West Sussex, Idris re-familiarized himself with the race circuit where the cast and crew had previously been filming.
My favorite racetrack is Austin, Texas – I had the craziest spin of my life there. It was exhilarating. As I came out, everyone was like ‘now you’re a race car driver’
Damson Idris, actor and producer
“We wrapped in Abu Dhabi in December so this is actually the first time that I’m getting back into the race suit. I kinda forgot how to tie my scrubs up but it’s good,” he said before joining Cole for a few laps around the Goodwood circuit on Saturday (April 12).
Following the pair close behind was a Mercedes GLC63s AMG SUV, which had a gyrostabilized robotic camera crane system attached to its roof to capture the instantly cinematic footage from what I saw on the live feed.
After months of training, Idris was able to do a lot of his own driving in real F2 race cars on real F1 racetracks in the movie and has been spotted alongside Pitt at many of the F1 races wearing the race suits of the fictional APXGP team.
“We got to drive on all the racetracks and we got to train on so many of them too,” he shared, adding: “My favorite is Austin, Texas. I had the craziest spin of my life there. It was exhilarating. And as I came out, everyone was like ‘now you’re a race car driver’. Also love Silverstone of course. Silverstone, Abu Dhabi, Spar, Budapest, Monza – every race had its own flavor.”
The film is made in collaboration with Formula One and Lewis Hamilton’s Dawn Apollo Films banner, which is a big reason why some of Hollywood’s best have been allowed to step onto the racetracks to capture these high-powered cars that can reach speeds above 200mph.
“My first F1 race was Budapest 2018 when Lewis won. I went to every race after that,” Idris said. “When everyone turns right, I turn left – I was always interested in the cars at the back. I just love the whole experience of F1. Now I’m a huge fan from binging Drive to Survive and getting to know so many of the drivers on a personal level.”
Inside the making of how the F1 movie was filmed
As you can probably imagine, filming race cars isn’t the easiest of tasks, especially when you only get to see a flash of them as they whirl past a grandstand at top speeds. This is where a specialized tracking car comes in.
The one used in the F1 movie, which was shown off at the Goodwood racecourse, was made by Brickers Action, a stunt engineering service that has over 1,000 TV and film credits over the past 45 years.
It takes four different people to operate, including the driver, two separate crane and camera operators, as well as a technician that’s on hand for any mishaps – and that’s before the director of photography and director gets involved.
What’s most impressive is that many of the shots had to be filmed in almost flawless takes because of the time pressure from being alongside real-life races, Idris reveals. “It was like theatre, like working on stage again. We had these small pockets of time, like 10 minutes for me and Brad to jump in a car and get all our bits around the track.
“It’s funny in Budapest, we had 10 minutes and I had a spin out in turn one and they had to wheel me back. I was holding my head down while paps were trying to get pictures. But it was really fun, because we had to bring our A game.”
In the movie, Idris plays an up-and-coming hotshot who’s teamed up with Pitt’s character, a retired F1 driver trying to make a comeback into the sport. The pair might not appear to get along in the film, but that’s the complete opposite in real life.
“Brad is an amazing character. Such a kind spirit,” Idris said. “He taught me about humility, no matter how huge you get. As an artist, he’s one of our finest and a lot of people – well, everyone really – are going to be really proud of him in this movie. He’s such a great leader. He made the movie better every step of the way. He was a great sparring partner for me.”
Idris had similar praise for the producers who worked on the film, such as Jerry Bruckheimer Films studio: “Jerry Bruckheimer is so full of advice. He’s launched the careers of so many people I’m a fan of, so working with him has been a dream come true.”
Such a support network was crucial from the sounds of it, especially with such a demanding role. Indeed, Idris revealed that while there were “some happy moments in this car,” there was also “some dark ones as well.”
Despite the challenges he faced, Idris isn’t going to stop being an F1 fan after the new movie comes out. “It’s definitely something I want to continue doing. Hopefully I can get a charity going, a bunch of bad drivers together and we can race every year. Call it F10 or something.” An underdog F1 race team brought together by a Hollywood actor? I can see Netflix knocking on Idris’ door already.
F1 will premiere in cinemas in the US and internationally on June 27, while those in the UK will get to see it in theaters on June 25, before eventually arriving on Apple TV+ where I suspect it’ll soon become one of the best Apple TV+ movies.
