F1 The Movie went full throttle with real crash stunts as Brad Pitt and Damson Idris took the hits

Brad Pitt and Damson Idris quite literally threw themselves into the world of Formula 1 for F1 The Movie, by taking part in some real crash stunts.

The behind-the-scenes crew revealed just how far they went to capture the authentic chaos of an F1 accident.

From launching cars over 100 meters (330 feet), to setting controlled fireballs that would make even seasoned drivers flinch, this movie wasn’t going to rely on CGI.

This production wanted speed, smoke, and smashed carbon fiber the old-fashioned way.

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F1 The Movie went all-in on real crash stunts

One of the biggest sequences centered around a recreated crash at Monza, also known as the Temple of Speed.

The team spent months rehearsing and testing how to fling a car up to 70 meters (230 feet) into the tire wall.

Using a nitrogen-powered ram, a pipe ramp, and some serious engineering know-how, the filmmakers managed to hit speeds of 120mph before launch.

On the first attempt, the car came up short.

On the second? It overshot by a mile, literally flying into the trees.

Instead of panicking, the movie crew decided the wild overshoot looked even better on screen.

While the stunt cars were being hurled across the track, Damson Idris was strapped into a 360-degree rotating rig to simulate the terrifying barrel rolls that come with a high-speed crash.

The rig allowed the crew to tilt him at different angles, spin him mid-air, and recreate the disorienting chaos of an F1 cockpit tumbling end over end.

Damson Idris reportedly loved it so much he wanted to go again.

Brad Pitt was reportedly game for everything

Brad Pitt faced his own test when it came time for the fire sequence, inspired by Romain Grosjean’s real-life 2020 Bahrain crash.

To capture the look of a fuel fire, the crew used a mix of propane and fuels to get the perfect thick black smoke and searing orange flames.

Safety experts stood by with extinguishers, running Pitt through practice drills on how to react if things got too hot.

According to the crew, Pitt was game for everything and nailed the shot of a driver barely escaping the flames.

The production leaned heavily on real-life F1 references to make sure every crash, spin, and fireball felt authentic.

And from the sound of it, they succeeded, as the movie smashed the box office worldwide.

With F1 The Movie pushing the limits of real crash stunts, fans are in for a ride that feels faster and more dangerous than anything CGI could deliver.

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