Brad Pitt became a regular in the Formula One paddock during the 2023 and 2024 seasons as Apple was afforded the kind of access typically reserved for its streaming rival Netflix so that it could film F1: The Movie.
The idea was to ensure that the movie offered as realistic a depiction of the Formula One world as possible, creating another cultural moment for a sport which has both grown and diversified its audience in recent years through new content offerings like Drive to Survive.
And no accurate cinematic representation of Formula One would have been complete without lots and lots of sponsors, giving the producers a unique opportunity to make back some of the money that was being pumped into the recently released movie.
Forbes estimates that the film generated about US$40 million from sponsorships, making a significant contribution to the project’s reported US$300 million production costs.
Most interesting though was the lineup of brands involved. The overalls, helmets and cars of Pitt’s fictional APX GP team, as well as press conference backdrops, were adorned with the logos of title sponsor Expensify, insurance firm Geico and SharkNinja – none of which have an existing presence in the sport.
It comes at a time when Formula One sponsorships are more coveted than ever, which is driving up the cost of entry and creating plenty of clutter on the grid, making it difficult for brands to stand out.
Formula One now boasts more than 800 million fans and a recent survey revealed that it has seen strong growth among Gen Z women and US audiences, illustrating how the sport’s expansion into new markets and focus on off-track, non-live content has broadened the series’ appeal.
But while sponsors have traditionally been able to enter Formula One at the championship, team or promoter level, F1: The Movie was the latest example of brands being given new, non-traditional ways to engage with the sport.
The sponsors haven’t just benefitted from on-screen visibility during the movie, but arguably also during the two years of filming, when Pitt was often captured in his costume by broadcasters and photographers.
This film hasn’t been solely about reach, branding and product placement for every sponsor, though. Watchmaker and Mercedes partner IWC released three timepieces to commemorate its involvement in the movie, while Tommy Hilfiger, which will be part of the real-life grid with the new Cadillac team in 2026, launched a limited-edition APX GP apparel collection. Several items are already sold out.
Formula One partner Heineken, meanwhile, created a 30-second ad with Pitt and his co-star Damson Idris, which Expensify’s chief financial officer has pointed out is one example of “other companies much larger than ours” promoting its logo.
It was revealed earlier this week that the movie has already grossed close to US$300 million since it hit the cinemas on 25th June, which will be welcome news to both Apple and the sponsors that signed up.
But F1: The Movie hasn’t just been a box office hit – it’s been a commercial success too.
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