High-octane Formula One racing drama premieres in New York

Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, and Javier Bardem were in New York’s Times Square on Monday for the world premiere of “F1: The Movie”.

Pitt stars as Sonny Hayes who comes out of retirement, 30 years after an accident ended his career, to mentor a younger driver played by Idris.

Both men did their own stunts, but Pitt says driving at 290 kilometres an hour was not an issue.

"I don't consider that stunts, really. Not like what Tom’s [Cruise] doing. It's like those are stunts. He's off his meds,” said Pitt.

“What we're doing, you know, in the car, it's very controlled. It's really a peaceful feeling in a strange way. Yeah.”

British actor, Damson Idris, said it was great to get to work with some of his idols.

"My family haven't seen it yet. I can't wait for them to see. I hope I make them proud. And right now, I'm really thankful, really blessed,” he said.

Bardem plays the owner of the F1 racing team that convinces Sonny to come back to save the team.

He said he genuinely worried about Pitt really racing in the film.

"I always say, but what do the insurance say about this? And nobody answers me. I still today don't know the answer. But they got it all very well tied up, I guess. And he and Damson are fearless," Bardem said.

But when Sonny's past catches up with him --- he finds that the road to redemption is not something you can travel alone.

The film was directed by Joseph Kosinski, known for "Top Gun: Maverick" and “Tron: Legacy”.

He said “F1: The Movie” is the kind of film he wanted to go watch on the big screen as a child.

"You know something that transported you into another universe, took you on an adventure, made you feel something, and then maybe made you interested in something you didn't know about,” he said.

He said Formula One, for him, was a whole new world that he was desperate to put on the big screen and share.

“A lot of people know about it. In America it still hasn't really caught on yet. So, we're you know, we're hoping to do that,” he said.

Co-produced by seven-time world Formula One champion, Lewis Hamilton, the film has generally been well-received by the critics.

“F1: The Movie” is scheduled for release on Friday 27 June.