Haas F1 driver Esteban Ocon is totally stoked about F1: The Movie, the Brad Pitt-led racing flick hitting theaters in June 2025. Chatting with reporters at the Monaco Grand Prix, the 28-year-old Frenchman couldn’t stop raving about the film after catching a special screening for F1 drivers. He called it a wild ride, packed with insane racing scenes, but in his excitement, he let a few plot details slip, giving fans a juicy taste of what’s coming.
F1: The Movie, directed by Top Gun: Maverick’s Joseph Kosinski, stars Pitt as Sonny Hayes, a ‘90s F1 driver who comes out of retirement to mentor a hotshot rookie, Joshua “Noah” Pearce (Damson Idris), at the fictional Apex Grand Prix team. With seven-time champ Lewis Hamilton as an executive producer, the movie’s got real F1 cred, featuring actual drivers and teams from the 2023 season, including Ocon, who was with Alpine at the time. Shot at iconic tracks like Silverstone and Abu Dhabi, it uses souped-up Formula 2 cars to nail the F1 vibe.
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Ocon was floored by how real it felt. “I’ve never seen anything like it—the way it puts you right in the car,” he told GPBlog and other outlets. “You really feel the speed.” He called the racing scenes “epic,” especially some “sweet battles” on track, and dubbed it “hands-down the best racing movie ever.” Hamilton’s input kept things legit, though Ocon chuckled that a few moments were pure Hollywood, saying, “Some stuff didn’t totally add up for us drivers.” He accidentally spilled a spoiler about the big final race in his hype, hinting at a red flag and a tire strategy shake-up. Realizing his oops, he laughed, “Sorry, I thought you all saw it!”
Ocon even pops up in the film, sharing a wild scene where his car tangles with Pitt’s Sonny Hayes in Abu Dhabi. “I’m just glad I didn’t crash into Sonny too much,” he joked. His cameo is small but adds to the movie’s chaotic energy. He also gave props to the film’s diversity, spotlighting a female mechanic who’s a key player. “It shows there’s room for everyone in F1,” he said, hyping the inclusive angle that mirrors the sport’s push to diversify.
Ocon’s no stranger to tough moments. From his days as a karting kid—when his family sold their home to fund his dream—to winning the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix, he’s all about grit. He’s even dabbled in acting before, with a cameo as a wedding-crasher in Netflix’s French rom-com Honeymoon Crashers. But F1: The Movie is next-level, and Ocon’s pumped for fans to see it.
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With a U.S. release date of June 27, 2025, the film’s already building serious buzz, and Ocon’s glowing take only amps it up. He’s racing for Haas now, after five years with Alpine, and you can feel his passion for the sport both on track and in his excitement for this project. Sure, some fans might roll their eyes at Hollywood’s take on F1, but if Ocon’s this fired up, it’s gotta be worth a look. Catch him speeding through the 2025 season and keep an eye out for his big-screen moment this summer. F1: The Movie sounds like it’s ready to burn rubber.