The celebrities who actually race cars as Brad Pitt's F1 movie smashes the box office

While the F1 movie takes fans behind the scenes of a fictional Formula 1 team, there are plenty of A-list celebrities who actually race cars.

They skipped the movie magic and gone straight to the grid – trading red carpets for racetracks.

Some went pro. Others just needed to feel the throttle. For a few, it turned into a full-blown second career.

Here’s how they all found their way to the starting line.

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Celebrities who actually race cars – they swapped scripts for speed

Frankie Muniz doesn’t just love racing – he lives it. 

He used to be stuck between brothers on TV, now he’s keeping pace with them on the track – the Malcolm in the Middle star now full-time NASCAR driver with Reaume Brothers Racing, spending his days in the simulator, reviewing tape, and training like a pro. 

“When I’m not in the race car, I’m thinking about being in the race car,” he said.

Michael Fassbender, long before X-Men, had one goal: race at Le Mans. 

Years of training led to his debut, and even after crashing out with 15 minutes to go, he came back for more. For him, acting is the day job, racing is the dream.

Then there’s Patrick Dempsey. 

You might know him as the ferry scrub-cap-wearing star surgeon who always said it was a beautiful day to save lives. 

Seems like these days, every day is a beautiful day to race cars – he’s racked up nearly 70 races and owns his own team, Dempsey-Proton Racing. 

After stepping away to focus on acting, he got pulled right back in while filming Ferrari. Turns out he’d never stopped ‘McDreaming’ of the track.

“Racing is like an addiction,” he said. “Once you start, it’s hard to stop.”

Others made speed their legacy

Long before Pitt stepped into the paddock, Steve McQueen was buzzing around racetracks under a fake name: Harvey Mushman.

The Bullitt star called racing his ‘drug,’ and backed it up with serious time in the hot seat – both cars and bikes.

Paul Newman turned a role in 1969’s Winning into a second career.

He won four national championships and co-owned an IndyCar team that racked up 105 wins and eight titles. 

In 2024, he was posthumously inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame.

Paul Walker didn’t just drive stunt cars on Fast & Furious sets.

He raced competitively in the Redline Time Attack series, piloting a BMW M3. Craig Jackson, CEO of Barrett-Jackson, once called him a modern-day McQueen.

Jason Priestley raced professionally for over a decade before a crash in 2002 ended his career.

Before that, he’d become one of the most high-profile actor-racers since Newman.

And nobody could ever forget James Dean – one of the first actors to fall hard for racing.

He competed in three events before tragically dying behind the wheel of his Porsche 550 Spyder at age 24.

The racing bug hits everyone differently – just ask Mr. Bean 

Not every celeb goes all-in, but plenty still chase the rush.

Rowan Atkinson – yes, Mr. Bean – is a legit historic racer.

He’s wrecked a McLaren F1 twice, owns an award-winning Jaguar MkVII, and races at events like Goodwood Revival.

Michelle Rodriguez, forever tied to Fast & Furious, regularly hits track days.

She’s not chasing trophies, she’s just out there for the thrill.

Adam Carolla races in Trans Am events, dominates celebrity races, and has one of the wildest car collections around.

Even Cameron Diaz once suited up for the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race in 1995, sharing the track with Matt LeBlanc and Alfonso Ribeiro.

Some do it for the glory, others for the adrenaline.

Either way, Brad Pitt’s racing role is just the latest chapter in Hollywood’s long-standing love affair with real speed.

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