What is Abu Dhabi’s role in F1 The Movie?

The film features the UAE national anthem as well as a thrilling finale that takes place at Yas Marina Circuit

Brad Pitt plays Sonny Hayes, a former Formula One driver turned mentor. Chris Whiteoak / The National

The anticipated blockbuster F1 The Movie, which stars Brad Pitt, is being released in cinemas on Thursday. Fans of the sport will notice that Abu Dhabi has a central role in the film – just as in real life.

Every year, the Abu Dhabi race serves as the season finale, making it the final opportunity for teams to secure crucial points. For the movie, scenes were filmed during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2023 and 2024.

F1 The Movie follows the fictional tale of Sonny Hayes (Pitt), a former driver forced into retirement. He is persuaded to return to the world of racing to mentor young newcomer Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris). Together, they join an underdog team aiming to challenge some of the top names in motorsport, including Ferrari and Mercedes, with the story building to a thrilling finale at Yas Marina Circuit.

The track itself is a worthy setting for a blockbuster – not only for its importance in the sport, but also as a beautiful backdrop. Being a race that starts in the day but goes into the night, the majority of the action takes place during what is referred to in filmmaking as the “magic hour”.

Speaking at an online launch event for the film’s trailer in March, director Joseph Kosinski praised the racing circuit in the UAE capital: “We end the film in Abu Dhabi, on this incredible track. That is just a spectacular way to end the film.”

For the film, a garage at Yas Marina Circuit's pit wall was transformed into Pitt and co's team base. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who spoke The National last year, was also full of praise. “Yas Marina Circuit is amazing, and the people in Abu Dhabi have been so gracious and wonderful to us,” he said. “They have welcomed our production with open arms and made everything very easy for us to film here.”

UAE national anthem

The final sequence of the film, which is set in Yas Marina Circuit, begins with images of an Etihad Airlines A380 performing a flyover above the track accompanied by UAE Armed Forces jets.

During the scene, the UAE national anthem plays prominently. The film then cuts to the drivers standing in two lines while the anthem continues.

During this shot, audiences can see Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, standing alongside officials such as Stefano Domenicali, the chief executive of Formula One and Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the president of the FIA, the motorsport's governing body.

These shots in particular have garnered attention and admiration from viewers in the UAE, some of who took to social media to speak of their pride on hearing their country's anthem for the first time in a big Hollywood film.

Spotlight on Yas Marina Circuit

In the film, the fictional Apex GP – 11th on the grid – is in desperate need of a good performance from its drivers at the Abu Dhabi race. The Yas Circuit becomes host to the hopes and dreams of a team and its owner, played by Javier Bardem.

Abu Dhabi has hosted F1 races since 2009. Photo: UAE Presidential Court

With everything on the line, the two Apex drivers go all out, giving viewers an adrenalin-filled glimpse of what it’s like to race a Formula One car around Yas Marina Circuit.

For the shoot, the film crew transformed a garage on the pit wall into the fictional team’s base, complete with team colours, photos of the stars and a fully outfitted pit crew in uniform.

Pitt and Idris filmed their driving scenes on the track using vehicles rigged with cameras. While made to look like F1 cars, the vehicles were actually modified F2 cars, offering a safer setup for the actors to drive at speed.

Seven-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton served as a producer, which ensured that scenes filmed in the pit lane and on the track were as accurate as possible due to his input and extensive expertise in the sport.

A local affair

The production for F1 The Movie was supported by local crew members who worked for a total of 29 days in the UAE capital alongside the international team. During that time, scenes were shot at Yas Marina Circuit, Zayed International Airport and twofour54 Studios at Yas Creative Hub.

It also featured a record number of young talent working on set, with 15 interns working on the film, five of whom were Emirati.

“The impact for the wider industry, given the total number of shoot days at 29, provided large economic benefits and extensive on-ground working opportunities for a variety of local professionals,” Sameer Al Jaberi, head of the Abu Dhabi Film Commission, previously told The National.

History of F1 in Abu Dhabi

Formula One came to the UAE in November 2009. The first race at the newly opened Yas Marina Circuit was the thrilling season ender in which British driver Jenson Button claimed his first and only world championship.

The capital had been waiting for that first race since it was announced in 2007 that the prestigious motorsport would be coming to our shores. Since then, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has become one of the most important races on the F1 calendar, often being the last race of the season.