Apple showcases incredible stunts while filming F1 movie with helicopters racing against Brad Pitt

If you’ve ever wondered what it took for the F1 movie to feel truly real, just picture helicopters tearing through the sky alongside Brad Pitt.

That’s exactly the kind of high-octane filming Apple Original Films is showing off, as it gears up for the streaming debut of F1: The Movie on Apple TV this December 12.

With drones too slow and traditional rigs too cumbersome, helicopters became the go-to tool for capturing every thrilling split-second of real-world racing action.

Somehow, the behind-the-scenes footage looks almost as exciting as the final product itself.

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Helicopters were the only way to keep up

The film, directed by Joseph Kosinski and starring Pitt as former F1 star Sonny Hayes, isn’t your typical racing drama.

Shot during actual Grand Prix weekends and blending real circuits with cinematic storytelling, the F1 movie blurred the line between documentary-style authenticity and Hollywood spectacle.

Helicopters were pressed into service to keep pace with race cars accelerating beyond 180mph.

After all, drones simply couldn’t keep up reliably.

This aerial camera work, along with specially designed compact rigs in the cars, helped transport audiences into the cockpit with a visceral immediacy rarely seen in motorsport films.

Behind the scenes, creativity and precision went hand in hand.

In fact, the movie went full throttle with a number of real crash stunts, involving stars Brad Pitt and Damson Idris.

The production also pioneered new camera technology to capture high-speed action from within race cars without interfering with performance.

The F1 movie shattered records

Audiences responded in kind: after its theatrical release in June 2025, the film raced past the $600 million mark at the global box office.

The movie became not only the year’s highest-grossing sports film, but also Brad Pitt’s most successful feature to date.

It shattered records for an original live-action movie and enjoyed a triumphant IMAX rerelease thanks to overwhelming demand.

With a 97 percent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and an A on CinemaScore, the F1 movie proved that real-world engines and real-world stakes can translate into box office gold.

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