14 real-life F1 drivers that make cameos in F1: The Movie
The newest sports movie, F1: The Movie, hits theaters this week as Brad Pitt gets behind the wheel of one of the fastest cars on the track. Directed by Top Gun: Maverick's Joseph Kosinski, F1 tells the story of Sonny Hayes (Pitt) and his return to the sport after decades of trying to find his way in the world. As Hayes tries to navigate his new APX GP team alongside hot shot rookie Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), challenges arrive in technical, personal and physical ways.
It's a high speed look at an already dramatic sport, and Apple collaborated closely with the real-life F1 league to make it all work. That means a lot of the biggest names in the sport were in the movie as themselves. Not only was Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton in F1: The Movie, but the talented driver was also a producer.
Here are some of the real-life F1 drivers that appeared as themselves in the movie:
Early reviews for F1: The Movie are fantastic, with the audience score sitting at 97% on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of publish.
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New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Why Max Verstappen's F1 future and links to Mercedes are back in focus once again
SPIELBERG, Austria — It was at the Austrian Grand Prix last year where Max Verstappen was asked a direct 'yes or no' question: would he be racing for Red Bull in 2025? 'You didn't get that out of my answer before?' Verstappen replied. He had alluded to his future being with Red Bull, but hadn't directly said it. 'I just want you to say it,' replied the journalist. Advertisement 'OK, yes,' Verstappen said. There had been months of speculation about Verstappen's future with Red Bull, set against the team's turbulent start to the year amid the investigation into team principal Christian Horner following allegations of misconduct. The grievance against Horner was dismissed after an internal investigation, and a second investigation on appeal, while Verstappen went on to win his fourth world title in November 2024. Twelve months later, at the Red Bull Ring, Verstappen's future with Red Bull has come back into the spotlight, once again at the team's home race in Austria. Despite still being under contract with the team through to 2028, murmurs of a possible switch to Mercedes are refusing to go away. A shock switch remains a possibility because Mercedes is yet to renew George Russell's contract beyond this year and Kimi Antonelli is thought to have a contract that only covers 2025. Russell has stepped up as team leader in the wake of Lewis Hamilton's move to Ferrari, scoring five podiums, including the race win last time out in Canada. He's performing better than ever, yet still doesn't have certainty that he will be racing for Mercedes next year. Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said at the season's first race in Australia that he envisaged talks with Russell about a new contract would be picked up once F1 2025 hit its traditional European summer swing. Wolff also said he would not 'flirt outside if I'm in a good relationship', referring to Verstappen — stressing his faith in Russell and his new 18-year-old teammate, Antonelli, to lead Mercedes' future. Now those European summer races have arrived, Russell has faced regular questions about the status of his contract talks. During media interviews in Austria on Thursday, Russell said there were 'zero reasons to be worried, but it does help if there was pen on paper.' Advertisement But in an interview with Sky Sports recorded on Thursday, Russell said it was 'only normal that conversations with the likes of Verstappen are ongoing.' A direct pointer to what — or who — could be delaying the putting of pen to paper. Russell has regularly commented that he feels relaxed about his future with Mercedes due to his current level of performance, and made clear his total certainty he'll be on the F1 grid next year. But he has always understood that in the event Verstappen became available, Mercedes could hold an interest. 'Why wouldn't he be on the radar?' Russell said in Canada. 'He's one of the GOATs, and I get that. It's down to you to prove your worth.' Off the back of Russell's comment in the Sky Sports interview, it was inevitable Wolff would face more questions about his apparent interest in Verstappen. Loose talks did take place last year between Mercedes and the Verstappen camp, as Wolff considered who would replace Hamilton, but both parties agreed it was not the right time for a move. Wolff is friendly with Verstappen's father, Jos, and has always been clear in his admiration for the young Dutchman. Even after the recent clash with Russell at the Spanish Grand Prix that resulted in a penalty and put Verstappen on the brink of a race ban, Wolff was reluctant to say the move could have been deliberate — Russell said it 'felt deliberate' — saying only it was 'too obvious.' Appearing in the FIA news conference on Friday at the Red Bull Ring, Wolff said there was nothing more Russell had to do to get a contract for 2026, but he insisted he preferred talks to take place behind closed doors instead of playing out in the media. 'In early summer, those kinds of contract discussions start being accelerated in the media because of a lack of information,' Wolff said. 'What I have been doing the last 30 years in normal business, (is that) contract discussions are not held as town halls. So, everything is normal, everything goes to plan.' Advertisement When Russell's 'ongoing' comment about Verstappen was put to Wolff, and he was asked if he thought Russell was talking to other teams as well, the Austrian said: 'We are going into territory that I don't want to discuss out here. 'But people talk. People explore. And most important is that in our organisation, we are transparent. But it doesn't change a millimeter (of) my opinion of George, his abilities, or anything else.' That exploration is what Russell was referring to. He totally understands, as frustrating as it is to be left waiting, why Mercedes would need to pause and consider the mere possibility of signing Verstappen. He's just that good. Wolff wouldn't directly confirm that such talks were indeed taking place, only saying that 'clearly you need to explore what's happening in the future,' in regards to Verstappen. He again professed his faith in Mercedes' existing line-up and mentioned the transparency with which it operates — a hark back to his comment in Australia about flirting. Nothing had changed since then, Wolff claimed. 'There is no flirt in that sense,' he said. But he then added: 'You can flirt, or you (can) have conversations.' A subtle yet important difference. So why would such 'conversations' be of interest to Verstappen? Much of it comes down to Red Bull's struggles for performance this year compared to the pace-setting McLaren team. This has already left Verstappen's hopes of a fifth consecutive crown looking extremely fragile. Verstappen sits 43 points behind championship leader Oscar Piastri in the drivers' championship after winning just two of the first 10 races, and has talked down his title hopes, given the pace of his RB21 car. Helmut Marko, Red Bull's motorsport advisor, said in April that 'the concern was great' that Verstappen could leave the team if it did not provide car upgrades to improve its performance through the season. Although his contract does run through to 2028, escape clauses could leave the door open for an early exit if that is what Verstappen desires. Advertisement An updated floor for the Red Bull car has arrived for this weekend's race, as the team bids to take a step toward McLaren's level of performance. The 2026 season will mark the start of a new technical era for F1, as both the car designs and the engine regulations get overhauled. Being with the right team for this change could lock in a period of domination similar to Mercedes from 2014 to 2020, or Red Bull in 2022-23. Verstappen said on Thursday that 2026 was 'not really on my mind' when he was again specifically asked if he would be racing for Red Bull next year, saying his focus was on 'just driving well, trying to push the performance, and then we focus on next year.' It's the same reasoning Russell has given in recent weeks about why he's so relaxed about his future. He's performing and leading Mercedes' efforts in the post-Hamilton era. The results point to him leading the team even through Hamilton's final year, but there's not much more he can do to make his case right now. Is there any realm where Mercedes could accommodate both Russell and Verstappen? Such a prospect seems unfathomable given the nature of their rivalry at times, which got even fiercer by their exchange in Qatar last year, where Russell claimed Verstappen threatened to put him 'on your f***ing head in the wall,' and said that people had been 'bullied by Max for years now.' Wolff smirked when the idea was put to him. 'I can imagine every line-up!' he said. 'I had (Nico) Rosberg and Hamilton fighting for a world championship, so everything else afterwards is easy.' Antonelli's start to life in F1 has already justified the faith Wolff placed in the 18-year-old, plus the significant investment to get him ready for life in F1. But the same is true with Russell. Mercedes has been with him through the entire journey, right from Formula Three (when it was called GP3 in 2017) to now leading its F1 team. So, again, why wait? Advertisement Timing is another thing to consider here. When Mercedes has previously waited to decide on renewing a driver's contract, announcements have typically not been made until after the August summer break. That was the case when Mercedes announced Russell as Valtteri Bottas' replacement for 2022, and when Hamilton's final contract was confirmed in 2023. Wolff made a mention of 'constant pressure' in F1, 'whether you're inside the car, outside the car, you just need to cope with that. And George knows that, like any other driver knows it. When you're being put in a comfort zone, sometimes that is more detrimental for performance than having a certain pressure point in the system.' By keeping the pressure on and opting against a swift renewal, Wolff will hope this continues to bring the very best out of Russell at Mercedes. But the longer it goes on, the longer this story will keep sustaining 'silly season' — and keep the flicker alive of a shock move that could truly ignite F1's driver market.
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Lewis Hamilton Breaks Down Ferrari SF-25 Performance After Major Austrian GP Upgrade
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton has revealed the effects of a new floor upgrade to his Ferrari SF-25 F1 car after the second free practice session at Spielberg. Considering Hamilton's ongoing struggles as he adjusts to the new car this season, Ferrari introduced a new floor for the Austrian Grand Prix, with changes made to the diffuser, floor edge, fences, and body. However, Hamilton was unable to test the floor in Free Practice 1 due to a gearbox failure. In the second practice session, he was the tenth fastest. Hamilton opened up on the gearbox problem before admitting that the car wasn't good enough to battle for the top positions. He told F1: Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Ferrari seeks shade under an umbrella in the pit lane during the F1 Grand Prix of Canada at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve on June 15, 2025 in Montreal, Canada. Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Ferrari seeks shade under an umbrella in the pit lane during the F1 Grand Prix of Canada at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve on June 15, 2025 in Montreal, Canada."We had a problem in the morning with the gearbox, which was obviously difficult, frustrating for everyone in the garage obviously because the boys did a great job, kept topping it up. "But you go out, you can only do one lap, and so we didn't get the long runs. But I think we recovered okay with it, they did a great job changing the gearbox and getting us ready for FP2. "Charles was six-tenths off, I was close to a second off, so not ideal. But I think there's lots of learnings, so I think we will make some changes. Hopefully we can try and get a little bit closer. We won't be at the front." When asked whether the new floor made any difference, the 40-year-old driver said: "A huge amount of work went on to bring the floor, but as you see it's not necessarily changed our competitiveness. "The car actually doesn't feel bad, we're just a huge chunk off pace-wise, so we need to look into that and that's about it really. We just keep pushing, just trying to dial the car in more and see what we can get, but it's obviously very close in the top 10 so a tenth could make a difference, so we'll work towards trying to gain at least that over the night." Hamilton's teammate Charles Leclerc stressed that the SF-25 needed more performance and called for changes to be made overnight for the qualifying session. He added: "I felt kind of at ease on the track straightaway, but not really at ease with the car and the way the car feels, so there's quite a bit of work to be done for tomorrow. "It doesn't feel like the performance is quite there yet, but hopefully we will put everything together tomorrow and do a step forward, but there's quite a lot of work to be done tonight. "Long run [pace] seems to be more positive as we very often have – we are faster on the race [pace] than we are in Qualifying. In Qualifying, there's a lot of work to be done."
Gizmodo
an hour ago
- Gizmodo
How to Watch the 2025 Austrian GP on a Free Channel
After an exciting win for George Russell in Canada, fans are gearing up for another Grand Prix. You know the deal, it's time to learn how to watch the F1 Austrian GP on a free channel. The Austrian Grand Prix live stream is available on several premium streaming services. However, not everyone has the luxury of affording them. If you're one of those fans, this free TV channel has your back! An ideal place to catch up on all Formula One races for free is SRF. SRF is a Swiss-based TV channel with an on-demand service titled SRF Play. SRF Play's website allows you to enjoy this company's channels, and SRF Zwei broadcasts the 2025 Austria GP online for free. The great thing about SRF Play is that it's 100% free and doesn't require an account. This means you can waltz in on the race day, click the live-stream, and enjoy. Moreover, it'll be broadcast in Full HD. As a result, users can enjoy the highest-quality footage of the race. The problem, however, is that SRF's content is region-locked chiefly to Switzerland. Furthermore, as a Swiss TV channel, it's not in English, and the German-language commentary might break the immersion. Watch F1 Austria GP With NordVPN Avid F1 fans looking to save money won't mind. Besides, this is an excellent proposition given the live-stream quality and the fact that it's free, without an account. So, how do people watch SRF abroad? This question segues into the solution working for thousands of motorsport fans abroad. Most of them have reported that VPNs help tremendously. NordVPN, as the most popular one, seems to work rather well. It offers VPN servers in Switzerland and is suited to streaming. People often praise its unrestricted speeds, unlimited bandwidth, applications for all devices, and Swiss IPs. There's also a 30-day refund policy. This allows users to get NordVPN, watch the F1 Austria GP live on a free channel, and get a refund. However, most fans keep using NordVPN long-term and enjoy free F1 broadcasts, saving tons of money on premium services. You may wonder how this is possible; here's the trick. SRF Play allows only Swiss-based users to access the content. The trick is to connect to a VPN server in Switzerland, which assigns you a Swiss IP and hides the original one. Now, you appear in Switzerland! It's a clever trick that doesn't require extensive tech knowledge. Anyone can do it, as proven by the many motorsport lovers worldwide who employ NordVPN to watch F1 and MotoGP races for free online. And if you want the trick to remain 100% free, we recommend reading our guide on how to try NordVPN for free and without risk. The trick with the free channel works worldwide. However, you must consider the price if you're in the UK or the US and want English-speaking options. No free channel broadcasts this or any other F1 race for free in those countries. The race is accessible on Sky Sports and Channel 4 in the UK. Sky Sports is around £20 monthly, while Channel 4 is £39.99 annually. You'll find ESPN+ helpful in the US, but it costs $11.99 monthly or $119.99 annually. These platforms provide an exceptional F1 Austria GP live stream quality (up to 4K) in English, but at steep prices. We should also mention F1 TV as a third option. It costs over $65 annually and has no monthly plans, resulting in a high upfront cost. All things considered, a free channel like SRF remains a solid choice. Try NordVPN Risk-Free Here's the full schedule so you don't miss a single beat this weekend:
