F1: The Movie (2025)

For any fan of Formula 1, this is a must see movie. I actually had plans of going to see it with my sister in the theatre, both of us wearing our Formula 1 gear (me wearing either Aston Martin or Mercedes, her wearing Ferrari), but now I have to buy it on Amazon instead

Summary

-A former Formula One driver, who was a legend in his time, comes out of retirement to team up with a younger driver and his team

For any fans of F1, you should immediately recognize Oscar Piastri in this picture

Cast

-Brad Pitt: Sonny Hayes

-Damson Idris: Joshua Pearce

-Javier Bardem: Ruben Cervantes

-Kerry Condon: Kate McKenna

-Tobias Menzies: Peter Banning

-Kim Bodnia: Kaspar Smolinski

-Sarah Niles: Bernadette

-Will Merrick: Nickleby

-Joseph Balderrama: Fazio

-Abdul Salis: Dodge

-Callie Cooke:Jodie

-Leigh Diffey: Daytona Race Broadcaster

-Will Buxton: Himself

-Martin Savage: Las Vegas FIA Race Director

Did You Know?

-It took a year to convince the FIA (the governing body of Formula 1) and the ten teams to allow production of the teams and drivers on the tracks during race weekends. One concern of the Red Bull team was that they would be shown as the villain because the Mercedes team had built the car used in the movie and then Mercedes F1 driver Lewis Hamilton was included as a producer on the film. Jerry Bruckheimer stated that the FIA or any of the teams would be not shown in a negative way

-Filming the racing scenes were scattered throughout the 2023 and 2024 race weekends. A garage was set up for production between the garages of the Mercedes and Ferrari teams

-For the drivers of the 2025 racing season, a private screening of the movie was held at the Cannes Film Festival

-Brad Pitt and Damson Idris did all of their own driving in this film

-Sarah Niles, who plays the mother of Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), is only 4 years older than him

-The car Brad Pitt drove is a modified Dallara F2 2018. The motor was replaced with an electric motor. It was created with the help of the Mercedes F1 team and Carlin Motorsport

-Brad Pitt is a long time fan of auto racing

-Director Joseph Kosinski was worried about Sir Lewis Hamilton's reaction to the footage of racing. Kosinski said "He smiled and said 'It looks fast.' I was like 'Oh, thank God.' If Lewis says that, we're in a good place.'"

-Any interior shots of the actors behind the wheel is actually them driving. No stunt men were used for the racing scenes. Brad Pitt logged over 6,000 miles of racing time, which now makes him quite experienced

-The scenes showing the racing simulator were done at the HQ and factory for the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 team in the UK

-Bernie Collins, a Northern Irish female Formula 1 strategy engineer, was the inspiration for Kerry Condon's character, who was the first female technical director of the Formula One APX GP team

-Sonny Hayes would wear mismatched socks, a trait that former F1 driver Alex Wurz would do. Wurz would wear mismatched racing shoes and socks

-As a tribute to the F1 world, HAAS team principal Guenther Steiner can be seen swearing. He is famous for his profane language among Formula 1 fans. He does it silently in the film, but lip readers can still pick it up. Despite not being seen using profane language during broadcasts, the Netflix series Drive to Survive did an episode featuring Guenther Steiner, making it clear about his use of profanity

-The headquarters for the APX team is actually the McLaren headquarters. It's the McLaren Technology Center

-The English Bulldog being walked through the paddock early in the film belongs to Formula 1 driver Sir Lewis Hamilton. The dog's name is Roscoe and he frequently joins Lewis during racing weekends

-This film was initially considered as a sequel to the 1990 film Days of Thunder

-Max Verstappen, driver for the Red Bull team, skipped the private screening for the F1 drivers and the New York premier while Carlos Sainz Jr, driver for Ferrari and now Williams Racing, cautioned the "pure F1 fans" to be "open minded to Hollywood films"

-Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) has a tattoo on his left arm. It's of the Jerez circuit in Spain, the circuit in which his character had his career-ending crash during an F1 race in the 1990s

-The name of the racing team Sonny joins is APX, pronounced Apex, the innermost point of a corner that a car can take to minimize lap time

-As part of an invitation from McLaren team principal Zak Brown, Brad Pitt took McLaren driver Lando Norris' car out for a private test at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) circuit in Texas. Lando Norris and SkySports commentator and former Formula 1 driver Martin Brundle were present to give Pitt any advice. He did three laps in Norris' car

Zak Brown, McLaren Team Principal

-Black and gold are the colors of the APX team. They are also the same colors for the University of Missouri, where Brad Pitt attended school and dropped out

November Birthdays

Since it's November, time to say Happy Birthday

-Birth name: 11/13/1999

-DOB: Bristol, England

-Where: He has won 11 Grand Prix so far

Billy Idol

-Birth name: William Michael Albert Broad

-DOB: 11/30/1955

-Where: Stanmore, United Kingdom

-He got the nickname "Idol" from being told he was idle in school, so he changed the spelling to "Idol" to avoid confusion with comedian and actor Eric Idle

Tommy Thayer

-Birth name: Thomas Cunningham Thayer

-DOB: 11/7/1960

-Where: Portland, Oregon

-Previously played guitar for band Black 'n Blue

Rick Allen

-Birth name: Richard John Cyril Allen

-DOB: 11/1/1963

-Where: Sheffield, England

-He uses an electronic drum kit with foot pedals that play for his missing arm

Roger Glover

-Birth name: Roger David Glover

-DOB: 11/30/1945

-Where: Brecon, United Kingdom

-He was often the victim of pranks pulled by Ritchie Blackmore

DJ Ashba

-Birth name: Darren Jay Ashba

-DOB: 11/10/1972

-Where: Monticello, Indiana

-He played with Guns N Roses prior to forming Sixx A.M. with Nikki Sixx and James Michael

Frankie Banali

-Birth name: Francesco Felice Banali

-DOB: 11/14/1951

-Where: Queens, New York

-DOD: 8/20/2020

-Where: Los Angeles, California

-He played drums for Quiet Riot, W.A.S.P., Steppenwolf (1978)

Rudy Sarzo

-Birth name: Rodolfo Maximiliano Sarzo Lavielle Grande Ruiz Paret y Chaumont

-DOB: 11/18/1950

-Where: Havana, Cuba

-Rudy was the bass player for Ozzy Osbourne in the early to mid 1980s. He left the band after the tragic death of guitarist Randy Rhoades, because he had lost the passion for music

Steven Van Zandt

-Birth name: Steven Lento

-DOB: 11/22/1950

-Where: Watertown, Massachusetts

-As a teenager, he was in a car accident, where his head went through the windshield and left several scars, causing the hair to not grow in right. Feeling self conscious about it, he took to wearing hats initially and then moved on to wearing scarves. It became his trademark look

20 Real Life Deaths That Were Written Into a TV Program

When an actor or actress dies during filming, it's then decided that their death should be written into the show. Of course, the cast will be devastated that they lost a fellow cast member. Acacia Deadrick, writer for MSN.com page Yardbarker, compiled this list of real life passings that were written into the TV shows

1. Cory Monteith

-Glee

-He played Finn Hudson. After he had died from a mixture of heroin and alcohol, resulting in an overdose. The writers of the show chose to honor his life in a touching episode called "The Quarterback". One of the songs the cast sung on that episode was James Taylor's "Fire and Rain"

2. George Cleveland

-Lassie

-He played Grandpa. While the show was still in its early seasons, George Cleveland died of a heart attack. His character was said to have died in the show. The writers honored his life with a funeral episode

3. Glenn Strange

-Gunsmoke

-He played Sam Noonan. He joined the cast later on. He was diagnosed with lung cancer and eventually lost his battle with the disease. The show's writers didn't immediately address that he had died. They chose to reveal that his character had passed

4. John Spencer

-The West Wing

-He played Leo McGarry. While filming the show, he suffered a massive heart attack and died. When fans learned of his death, they were devastated. It was written into the show that his character died during his bid for the presidency

5. John Ritter

-8 Simple Rules

-He played Paul Hennessy. He suffered a massive cardiac event and was rushed to the hospital, but died en route. His death was written into the show. It was turned into a two part episode, one part where his character passes and the other part paying tribute to him

6. Nancy Marchand

-The Sopranos

-She played Livia Soprano, Tony's headstrong, manipulative mother. When she died in real life from lung cancer, her character's death was written into the show. A CGI version of her was used during a final exchange between her and her son Tony

7. Will Geer

-The Waltons

-He played Zebulon Tyler Walton. Will Geer died from respiratory complications in the late 1970s and his death was written into the show. The characters said their tearful goodbyes to Grandpa Zebulon in the season 7 premiere

8. Karl Swenson

-Little House on the Prairie

-He played Lars Hanson. During the show, he suffered a heart attack and passed away. His death was written into the show and stated that Lars died from an undisclosed illness. Since the show was set in a time when people could die from simple illnesses that now have a cure, it was believable

9. Jim Davis

-Dallas

-He played Jock Ewing. In 1981, he lost his battle with cancer. His character was not present on the show for a time, but it was said on the show he died in a helicopter crash

10. Will Lee

-Sesame Street

-He played Mr. Hooper. He was a much beloved character on the show. He passed away from a heart attack in 1982. Several episodes aired without his character, but the writers used his passing as a way to say goodbye to his character and teach children about death and mourning in a very touching way. It turned out to be a very good episode

11. George Segal

-The Goldbergs

-He played Albert "Pops" Solomon. George underwent surgery in 2021 and died as a result of complications that arose. Writers included his passing in the show and wrote it into the season 9 opening episode to pay tribute to him

12. Carrie Fisher

-Family Guy

-She appeared as Angela. While her character was not a recurring one, the show paid tribute to Carrie Fisher by saying her character Angela died in an accidental drowning. Peter Griffin, one of the main characters, gave a beautiful eulogy that paid deep respect to both Angela and Carrie

13. Linda Porter

-Superstore

-She played Myrtle. She passed away in 2019 after a long battle with cancer. Her character was stated to have passed, but the cause was not mentioned. The Cloud 9 employees paid tribute to her with a hilarious but also touching moment when they think about all the moments that they had with Myrtle

14. Luke Perry

-Riverdale

-He played Fred Andrews. Writers wrote in Luke Perry's death as a car accident that kills Fred Andrews in Season 4. In real life, Luke Perry died from a stroke. The rest of the episode has the characters exploring the concept of death, mourning, loss and grief

15. Kristoff St. John

-The Young and the Restless

-He played Neil Winters. He appeared in just under 1,700 episodes of the show, making him a regular cast member. On the show, it was said he died of a stroke on the show. In real life, he passed away from heart disease in 2019

16. Adam West

-Family Guy

-He provided his own voice as Mayor West. Many thought it was in bad taste to pay tribute to Adam West's passing two years on the show after he really died. Adam West died of cancer in 2017, but his character was not written out until 2019

17. Carrie Fisher

-Catastrophe

-She played Mia. Carrie Fisher died in 2016 from a heart attack. Her death was written into the show. It was said her character also died from a heart attack

18. Carol Ann Susi

-The Big Bang Theory

-She provided the voice of Debbie, Howard's mother. You never saw her, but you often heard her arguing with Howard, saying things like "Close the door. You'll let all the bugs in!" with Howard responding back sarcastically "The only reason they would come in is because you're their queen!" or "Who's there? Is that a sex criminal?" and he would respond "Nobody wants to do that to you, ma!" Their arguments were often one of the funniest parts of the show

-Carol Ann Susi died in 2014 from cancer, and writers wrote her death into the show. Howard is at the comic book store with his friends when he gets a call from relatives. He finds out that his mother, who had gone down South to visit relatives, had gone to lay down for a nap and never woke up. The paid touching tributes to Susi and explored how Howard handled losing his mother in addition to how he handled life after losing a parent

19. Christopher Evan Welch

-Silicon Valley

-He played Peter Gregory. Suffering from lung cancer, he finally lost his battle in 2013. His death was written into Season 2 and honors his life with a funeral for the character

20. Christopher Allport

-Mad Men

-He played Andrew Campbell. He died when an avalanche hit him head on. The writers wrote his death into the show, saying he died in a plane crash. The entire episode was dedicated in loving memory to Allport

White Line Fever by Lemmy Kilmister and Janiss Garza

This autobiography allows Ian Fraser Kilmister, better known to the world as "Lemmy", to tell the story of how he came to be the front man for one of the loudest bands in the world, Motorhead. This book is hilarious in some parts, sweet in some parts and he does not mince words-he tells it as it is, no matter who it might offend

-He was born Ian Fraser Kilmister on December 24, 1945 in the city of Burslem, in Stoke-on-Trent, England. He grew up an only child in the city of Colwyn Bay in Wales. As he got older, he often ran into trouble at school, as a result of not wanting to follow orders from the teachers. He states the reason he got into music was to meet girls. Sure enough, when he got old enough, he bought himself a guitar and suddenly girls started noticing him

-Some of the first bands he played in included the Rocking Vicars, Opal Butterfly and Hawkwind. He worked as a roadie for Jimi Hendrix and he firmly states Jimi was one of the nicest guys he's ever met. He talks about seeing The Beatles live and how he was just blown away. He said The Rolling Stones were okay, but for him The Beatles were better

Opal Butterfly

The Rocking Vicars (the internet has the name spelled incorrectly)

-He had a short stint with Hawkwind, and that he was fired from the band for possessing cocaine. He states it was not cocaine, but amphetamine. He was crossing the border into Canada with the band and border patrol caught him. After testing the narcotics found on him, it came up positive for cocaine. He states the members of Hawkwind had been looking to fire him anyway. This now gave him an opportunity to form a new band, which he named Motorhead after the last song he wrote with Hawkwind, which was "Motorhead". He discovered that this was an American slang term for a meth user

-Some of the earliest members of Motorhead included Larry Wallis, Lucas Fox. He finally settled on Phil Taylor for drums and Eddie Clarke for guitar. They made quite a few albums, including Ace of Spades, Bomber, Iron Fist, Another Perfect Day. When Eddie left the band, according to Lemmy, Eddie left and came back multiple times, Brian Robertson of Thin Lizzy joined the band. Lemmy states Brian would dress oddly on stage, dressing in a way that heavily clashed with the look Motorhead was known for. Phil left for a short time in the mid 1980s, which meant a new drummer came in, one named Pete Gill. When Brian Robertson left, in came another guitarist named Michael Burston, who went by the nickname Wurzel. Lemmy often nicknamed Phil Taylor Clumso because he was so uncoordinated. Because of this, Phil ended up in a hospital almost everywhere they went. Lemmy jokes that they should have written a book about all of the hospitals Phil ended up in

Larry Wallis

Lucas Fox

"Philthy" Phil Taylor

"Fast" Eddie Clarke

Put the three together and you get Motorhead

Brian Robertson

Pete Gill

Michael Burson, aka "Wurzel"

-Lemmy is strongly supportive of women in music. He had wanted to make a song with Tina Turner, but never got the chance. Over time, he became good friends with all female hard rock band Girlschool. He states he would go to bat for them. It turned out that Girlschool and Motorhead were on the same label, Bronze Records, so that is how Girlschool ended up opening for and even touring with Motorhead

-He jokingly said one time he was ill and was told that his blood was so toxic that actual human blood would kill him. He was told that because of all the substances in his blood that fresh, pure human blood would actually do more harm than good

-As the 1980s progressed to the 1990s and 2000s, Lemmy would state that he and the band seemed to have issue after issue with management and labels until they found one that finally worked for them. As usual, they would record their albums and the fans would be happy, but the labels they were on were not pushing the album as the band had hoped. The band would also change lineups, bringing in new guitarist Phil Campbell and new drummer Mikkey Dee. Lemmy would see Phil Campbell leave and come back multiple times and Mikkey would be hard to understand when he talked sometimes due to his heavy Swedish accent

Phil Campbell

Mikkey Dee

-Towards the mid to late 2000s, Lemmy's health started declining. People started noticing how painfully thin he was getting. He was diagnosed with diabetes, meaning he had to strongly cut back on his iconic Jack Daniel's and Coke and he had to start taking better care of himself. He was doing good after a while, but he ended up getting diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. He went in to his room at home to lie down for a while and never woke up. When the news of Lemmy's death hit the media, fans all over the world mourned his passing