Chasing Speed and BAFTAs: An Evening with F1 That Hit London Like a Clean Shot of Adrenaline
- PARLIAMENT NEWS
- 41 minutes ago
- 4 min read
London has a way of staging its own drama. Yesterday, the city’s bitter wind had been chewing at our coats, the rain tapping its usual rhythm against Mayfair’s stone.
And then, as if on cue, it stopped — just as we stepped into Curzon Mayfair Cinema for a special screening of F1, followed by an in-conversation with some of the most formidable names in modern filmmaking: producer Jerry Bruckheimer, producer Jeremy Kleiner, actress Kerry Condon, supervising sound editor Gwen Whittle, supervising sound editor Al Nelson, and production sound mixer Gareth John.
The second act of the evening unfolded at Little House Mayfair, where warmth, whisky, and conversation stitched the night together. The gathering was hosted with the deft touch of Denise Parkinson —SVP of Sales and Marketing for Variety — and made possible by Apple TV and Soho House. Pre-Christmas London always carries a particular glow, but last night it felt brighter, charged, almost conspiratorial.
I was accompanied by a remarkable circle of creatives: Patricia Matuszak, business leader; Rebecca Ferdinando, actress; Julia Hurley, actress; Anna Sherman, designer ; Lesya Warren, influencer business ; Magda Swider, model and journalist; Anqui Zhu, model; Kamile Spann, model and business entrepreneur ; HRH Prince Gabriel de Nassau of Luxembourg; and luxury brand specialist Audrone Gedrimaite. A group as eclectic as the film itself — and just as full of adrenaline.
A film that lives at 300 km/h
Directed by Joseph Kosinski, F1 is far more than a sports drama. It’s a machine of a film, engineered with precision, grit, and heart. Brad Pitt’s Sonny Hayes is a man both weathered and hungry — a veteran dragged back onto the track after three decades. Damson Idris gives the film its pulse, Kerry Condon its mind, and Javier Bardem its unexpected tenderness.
Much of F1 was filmed during real race weekends, with FIA access that filmmakers spend their lives dreaming of. The result is visceral. You don’t just watch the speed — you feel it. In the Q&A at Curzon, Bruckheimer and the sound team spoke of hiding cameras inside impossible corners of the car, treating the growl of the engine as another character. It worked. Every frame carries danger, swagger, and the quiet concentration only racing can produce.
Awards bodies have already taken notice. With nominations across cinematography, stunts, sound, editing, visual effects, score, and the now-iconic original track “Drive” by Ed Sheeran, John Mayer and Blake Slatkin, the film is building its own slipstream straight into BAFTA season.
Memories of Monaco and the magic of Mayfair
Hearing behind-the-scenes stories took me right back to my years working around the Monaco Grand Prix — the scent of fuel, the electricity before a race, and that unmistakable hum of ambition. There is a line in the film about chasing the rare moments when a driver feels untouchable; anyone who has stood trackside at full speed knows exactly what that means.
Later, at Little House Mayfair, that same pulse carried through the room. Conversations zig-zagged like overtakes: stunts, sound design, cinematography, favourite shots, unexpected emotions. The cold outside gave the evening a sharper edge, making the warmth inside feel earned.
Familiar faces appeared everywhere — Aidan London, Alexei Bev, Jayraj Sisodia, Rhea Elliott, and many more — each of them caught up in the film’s afterglow.
As the night wound down, one certainty lingered:This film is heading for BAFTA glory, and it deserves every accolade coming its way.
F1 is the rare film that combines Hollywood muscle, European sensibility, and the brute beauty of real speed. It’s a clean shot of adrenaline — one London, for a moment, seemed happy to pause its rain for.
Advertorial Note
F1 is a cinematic force built on precision, courage, and spectacle. With Brad Pitt leading a formidable cast, Hans Zimmer’s electrifying score, and race sequences filmed in the heat of real Grand Prix weekends, the film offers an experience that is immediate, immersive, and unforgettable. In partnership with Apple TV, Soho House and Variety, audiences are invited into a world where engineering meets emotion and the pursuit of speed becomes the pursuit of excellence. A landmark achievement and a strong contender for this year’s major awards, F1 is not just a film — it’s a full-throttle celebration of human ambition.
By Rebeca Riofrio Parliament News Press Room.
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