– According to Hollywood actor Damson Idris, the sequel to the official Formula 1 film is already being discussed behind the scenes. “I can’t say much,” the actor said on the “Beyond the Grid” podcast, “but exciting conversations are currently taking place.”
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“The focus is,” Idris said, “on making the sport and the fans proud. And I think we succeeded in doing just that with the first film. I know people who have watched the film 19 times.”
Formula 1’s cinematic comeback in 2025 was one of the most successful films of the year. Brad Pitt as Sonny Hayes and Idris as his teammate Joshua Pearce were part of a film that, according to Box Office Mojo, grossed over 634 million US dollars worldwide.
Neither the previous skepticism of some Formula 1 fans nor the abuse allegations against Pitt, which were addressed by outlets like the New York Times, could stop the blockbuster at the box office. Consequently, a sequel is already in the works.
A release timeframe for the sequel is not yet known. However, much indicates that this time it will not be Sonny Hayes, but the younger Pearce, who will take on the lead role.
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Idris is more than enthusiastic about his experience on the official Formula 1 podcast. “[The film] changed my life,” he explains in conversation with Tom Clarkson. “I was a young actor in Snowfall before, but then this film shot me up like a rocket. Through it, I learned to respect the business I’m in even more.”
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“When a film of this magnitude is so successful, you see the domino effect in other films. [You see] how other people take risks to create blockbusters that save the film business. That’s why people want to go to the cinema!”
“Big films,” Idris said, “give arthouse films and smaller films the space to exist. That’s one side of the business.”
“But on the other hand, I have to play roles that give me the same feeling that F1 gave me: learning a new skill, and then at the family gathering at Christmas, bragging to my two-year-old niece that I’m a Formula 1 driver. She’s the only person who will believe me that Uncle Damson is the best driver.”
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