Premiere of 'F1' Starring Brad Pitt

The world premiere of F1 starring Brad Pitt took place on June 16, 2025, at Radio City Music Hall, with the red carpet stretching through Times Square. It was strictly invite-only, drawing stars like Javier Bardem, Kerry Condon, and Damson Idris alongside real F1 drivers flown in on a chartered Qatar Airways flight straight from the Canadian Grand Prix. The film went on to gross $631.5 million globally. There's plenty more to discover about this extraordinary event.

Key Takeaways

• The world premiere of F1 was held on June 16, 2025, at Radio City Music Hall, with the red carpet set in Times Square.
• The event was strictly invite-only, drawing a star-studded crowd including Jon Hamm, Ben Stiller, Gayle King, John Mayer, and Chris Stapleton.
• F1 drivers and team principals were flown on a chartered Qatar Airways flight from Montreal directly after the Canadian Grand Prix.
• Brad Pitt attended with partner Ines de Ramon and producer Lewis Hamilton, while F1 drivers Charles Leclerc and George Russell mingled with Apple CEO Tim Cook.
• An exclusive after-party was hosted at Cipriani following the screening, capping a glamorous Hollywood-meets-motorsport event in midtown Manhattan.

Where the F1 Film Held Its World Premiere

The doors of Radio City Music Hall swung open on June 16, 2025, welcoming the world premiere of *F1*—Apple Original Films and Warner Bros. Pictures' high-octane racing drama.

You couldn't just walk in; this was strictly invite-only, making the venue history of this iconic New York landmark feel even more fitting for such an exclusive event.

City logistics played a pivotal role in pulling everything together. F1 drivers and team principals flew in on a chartered Qatar Airways flight straight from Montreal after the Canadian Grand Prix, landing in New York just in time for the festivities.

The production team timed everything around the real F1 calendar, turning the premiere into a seamlessly orchestrated event that matched the precision of the sport itself. Outdoor gatherings like the red carpet arrivals benefited from careful planning, as organizers used a sunrise and sunset calculator to ensure optimal natural lighting during the evening event. The film stars Brad Pitt as Sonny Hayes, an aging former F1 prodigy who returns to the sport after a 30-year absence to help save a struggling underdog team.

Why the F1 Premiere Landed at Radio City Music Hall

Radio City Music Hall wasn't chosen by accident—its capacity, prestige, and Manhattan address made it the obvious anchor for a premiere of this scale. Its venue prestige signals something larger than a typical Hollywood rollout, and pairing it with a Times Square red carpet only amplified that statement.

Logistical convenience played an equally important role. The Canadian Grand Prix wrapped in Montreal on Sunday, June 15, and the paddock traveled directly to Manhattan. Fifteen of the twenty F1 drivers checked into an uptown hotel Monday morning and shifted straight into premiere preparations with almost no downtime.

New York City absorbed the global spectacle naturally—Apple Original Films, Warner Bros. Pictures, celebrity guests, and elite racing figures all converged on one iconic midtown block on June 16, 2025. For those tracking the exact number of business days between the Canadian Grand Prix and the premiere, the back-to-back scheduling left virtually no buffer for the cast and crew. Following the screening, attendees carried the celebration forward at an after party at Cipriani.

Every Star Who Attended the F1 Premiere Night

Once the venue was set and the paddock had made its way from Montreal, all eyes turned to who actually showed up—and the F1 premiere delivered a genuinely rare convergence of Hollywood, motorsport, and tech royalty.

Here's who you couldn't miss:

1. Brad Pitt arrived alongside partner Ines de Ramon and producer Lewis Hamilton.
2. Javier Bardem, 56, led a standout supporting lineup.
3. Kerry Condon, Damson Idris, and Sarah Niles rounded out the main cast presence.
4. F1 drivers Charles Leclerc and George Russell mingled with Apple CEO Tim Cook.

Beyond the cast, Jon Hamm, Ben Stiller, Gayle King, and John Mayer also attended, proving this premiere pulled far beyond a typical Hollywood crowd. Country music star Chris Stapleton was also among the notable guests, adding yet another unexpected dimension to an already eclectic celebrity attendee list.

How the F1 Film Was Shot During Real Grand Prix Races

Pulling off a Hollywood blockbuster inside an active Formula 1 weekend sounds impossible—but that's exactly what director Joseph Kosinski's crew did. The on-track logistics required Brad Pitt and Damson Idris to drive their custom cars between actual practice and qualifying sessions, performing lines at high speeds in front of packed grandstands. Real-time coordination with the FIA guaranteed the track cleared quickly before races resumed.

The production used 16 camera positions for comprehensive coverage, including four cameras mounted directly in front of the drivers. Custom iPhone modules replaced traditional broadcast cameras to capture authentic race footage. Small sensor-on-a-stick cameras with IMAX lenses, developed with Sony, added cinematic detail. Despite spinouts and occasional fan interruptions, the two-year shoot remained completely accident-free. Filming took place across a number of iconic circuits, including Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium and Autodromo Nazionale Monza in Italy.

Every Box Office Record the F1 Film Broke

When F1 hit theaters, it didn't just perform well—it rewrote the record books entirely.

You're looking at a film that shattered box office expectations across every measurable category.

Here are four global records the film broke:

1. Highest-grossing racing film ever — $631.5 million worldwide, topping Cars 2
2. Actor milestones — Brad Pitt's biggest career hit, surpassing World War Z's $540 million
3. Studio achievements — Apple Studios' highest-grossing theatrical release, beating Napoleon's $221 million
4. North American dominance — $189.5 million domestically, ranking as the top live-action racing film regionally

The film hit $393 million within two weeks, proving that Formula 1 cinema could achieve genuine mainstream cultural impact you rarely see in sports films. In the North American market, it ranked third overall among racing films but sat behind only the animated Cars franchise titles, making it the highest-grossing live-action racing film in US history.