F1: Every Major Racing Cameo In Brad Pitt's Formula One Movie

This article contains spoilers for "F1."

Every time "F1" gets the camera inside the cars, it's clear that the movie was made by people who genuinely love the sport. The racing sequences are crafted with an incredible level of technical skill — something only possible through what sounds like a difficult film shoot. Most of that action is channeled through the film's slew of original characters and the fictional APXGP team, but there are a ton of cameos from real-life racers, team members, and other figures attached to the sport as well.

Most of these are blink-and-you'll-miss-them moments during races or the moments just before or after. But a few real Formula 1 figures have actual lines. In some ways, the film seems more aimed at fans of Netflix's massively popular "Formula 1: Drive to Survive" series than dedicated followers of the actual sport, so a lot of the faces you'll recognize throughout are people who've featured prominently or become fan favorites on that show.

From Lewis Hamilton to Gunther Steiner, here's every major Formula 1 cameo in "F1" that you may have missed, along with some of the inside jokes they bring with them.

The two most famous drivers on the F1 grid both feature prominently in the movie, with a series of quick glamour shots scattered across the various race day scenes. Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton also each get to serve as the sort of "boss" driver in a race, with Verstappen's big moment coming in the middle of the movie at the Italian Grand Prix and Hamilton serving as the final boss for the film's climactic Abu Dhabi race.

At Monza, Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris) nearly scores a race win over Verstappen but careens out of control at the last second on a pass attempt. This is mostly played for dramatic effect for the main characters, but there's something kind of funny about the inherent implication: Trying to pass Max Verstappen? Good luck, because you may wind up in the wall.

Hamilton, on the other hand, who actually consulted on the film and earned a producer credit for his contributions, ends up losing his big moment at Abu Dhabi when he and Pearce take each other out, allowing Sunny Hayes (Brad Pitt) to win the race.

Some other interesting details include the similarities between Hamilton's real-life story and Pearce's fictional one (Black British drivers in a predominantly white sport) and the number of podium finishes and race wins Verstappen gets in the "F1" movie (very accurate, that part). There's also something bittersweet about seeing Hamilton back in his old Mercedes kit after his (less than successful so far) move to Ferrari to start the 2025 season.

The most lines of any real-world Formula 1 figure in "F1" belong to Martin Brundle and David Croft, the famous commentator duo who call each of the fictional races in the film. Apparently, Hamilton played a key role in making the movie commentary so authentic.

"If it wasn't for Lewis, I wouldn't be in the film," Croft said during a red carpet interview at the film's premiere. "He sat down with [producer] Jerry Bruckheimer and [director] Joseph Kosinski and said, 'Look, if you want to make it authentic in terms of commentary, don't get an actor, get Crofty and Martin to do it, because they're the voice.'"

It was clearly the right call. If you've ever watched a real "F1" race or an episode of "Drive to Survive," you'll feel right at home with the commentary.

In addition to the drivers themselves, a number of team principals make appearances throughout "F1." What's more, two fan favorites get special attention — Gunther Steiner, principal of Haas F1 Team, and Toto Wolff, team principal of Mercedes.

Steiner gained significant fame after being featured prominently in the first season of "Drive to Survive." His no-nonsense, harsh but kindly persona made him popular with viewers, and he brings a bit of the bluntness he's known for in the real world to the film. During an early race, Sunny adopts an overly aggressive style from the rear of the pack to force safety cars and help his teammate gain track position. This is looked upon quite poorly from Steiner, who's shown a few times giving the evil eye to the APXGP crew during and after the race.

Wulff is arguably a smaller personality in the F1 fandom but has a notably larger profile due to the immense success Mercedes has achieved during his time as team principal. At the very end of the "F1" movie, he has a brief speaking scene where he congratulates JP on his performance at Abu Dhabi and hints there could be a future for him one day at Mercedes. This is one of the film's more embellished moments, for sure, but it's worth noting that the APXGP team does use the Mercedes power unit for its car.

Two other team executives who feature in the "F1" movie are Zak Brown of McLaren and Frédéric Vasseur of Ferrari. Both appear in the same scene, speaking in a group TV interview where they provide some tasteful trash talk to the sputtering APXGP team.

Other team principals and executives have smaller roles, including James Vowles of Williams, Lawrence Stroll of Aston Martin, and Formula One Group executive Stefano Domenicali.

While not featured as prominently as Hamilton or Verstappen, some of the other F1 drivers get more notable screen time than their peers. Specifically, Charles Leclerc of Ferrari appears a number of times, earning several podium finishes throughout the film and showing up in at least one battle for the top few spots. Ferrari has long been a hugely popular team in the sport, and as a gifted racer sporting the iconic red livery, Leclerc has become one Formula 1's young superstars (though his 2025 season, like that of his teammate Hamilton, hasn't quite reached the peaks many expect of Ferrari).

Lando Norris of McLaren also has more than a couple glamour shots and at least one featured podium finish in the "F1" movie. Norris is currently having a standout season in a dominant car for McLaren, having recently won the prestigious Monaco Grand Prix.

Leclerc's Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz (who now drives for Williams after being replaced by Hamilton for the 2025 season) can also be seen a couple of times, and his car has some prominent action moments in the film's racing scenes. But the best moment involving Sainz doesn't actually feature him on screen. Later in the film, while at a club, Pearce is approached by a young woman who asks if he's a driver. When he says yes, thinking she's flirting, she asks, "Can you introduce me to Carlos Sainz?" Followers of Formula 1 will be well acquainted with the handsome Spanish driver's popularity among certain fans ... and as one of those followers, I have to say that this joke really worked for me.

Not every F1 driver is featured prominently in the movie, but they're all credited with cameos. Drivers like Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon have a couple battle moments with the main characters, as does Kevin Magnusson — a driver known for an aggressive style that's referenced during a bit of combat with Sunny. Veteran racer and two-time champion Fernando Alonso even congratulates Sunny on his return in another scene.

Meanwhile, famed motorsports announcer Leigh Diffey can be heard commentating the 24 Hours of Daytona sequence, and you'll likely catch a few other industry and media figures we missed during your watch. It's nice to see so many people who make motorsports, and Formula 1 in particular, so great be represented in the film. While certain racing details are absolutely embellished for dramatic effect, if not excluded altogether, the movie consistently pays tribute to the real ones.

"F1" is now playing in theaters.