The crucial Lewis Hamilton email behind a box-office hit

F1 The Movie director Joseph Kosinski has revealed how an email to Lewis Hamilton played a significant part in the creation of the summer blockbuster.

Since its release in cinemas worldwide on June 12 earlier this year, F1 The Movie has become the highest-grossing sports film of all time, having grossed over $630 million.

It quickly became a box office hit, receiving a staggering 97% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. For Hollywood royalty Brad Pitt, it is his highest-grossing feature to date.

The movie has surpassed expectations and was officially released on Apple TV on December 12. It follows veteran racing driver Sonny Hayes (played by Brad Pitt), who is brought back into F1 by former team-mate Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem), the owner of struggling backmarker APX GP.

Hayes’ job is simple: to save the team from collapse alongside rookie team-mate Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris).

Much of the blockbuster was filmed in the F1 paddock during various Grands Prix, with the entire 2023 grid making an appearance.

For Kosinski, F1 The Movie was brought together by two ideas, the first of which was triggered by Netflix’s F1 docuseries Drive to Survive.

Discussing the first of the two ideas that resulted in the movie, Kosinski said: “What really struck me about the first season [of Drive to Survive] was that it focused not on the most famous names and teams, but the teams at the back of the pack.

“That was a story that was very ripe for a film—underdogs who are struggling to get into the top ten, or even survive as a team.”

The email to Hamilton

Kosinski’s other idea was to make it as realistic and authentic as possible—something he realised was only doable with the help of an actual F1 driver. As a result, he got in touch with Hamilton.

On his second idea, Kosinski revealed: “I happen to have the email of Lewis Hamilton.

“I sent an email to Lewis just saying, ‘I want to make a film in this world. I want it to be the most authentic racing film ever. Would you be interested in helping me do that?’

“And he said yes.”

For the seven-time world champion, who had considered taking up a role in Top Gun: Maverick, it was an opportunity he did not want to miss out on, following conversations with Kosinski and producer Jerry Bruckheimer.

“From the beginning, Joe and Jerry talked about how important the authenticity is,” explained Hamilton, “not only for the new fans that we’ll gain from this movie, but for old fans, like myself, who have grown up with it since we were walking.

“The focus has been to make sure that it is as authentic a racing movie as has ever been.”