Joseph Kosinski’s F1 is set to race into theaters in just a matter of days and, if you’re like me, you probably can’t wait to sit your behind in an IMAX theater and watch the blockbuster. Ahead of that, the cast and crew, including the leading man Brad Pitt, have been promoting the 2025 movie release. Throughout the press tour, I expected to hear a lot about the technical aspects of the very ambitious production. What I didn’t expect, however, was to hear Pitt tell a funny story about a tramp stamp-like snafu that occurred early on.
When it comes to his Jerry Bruckheimer-produced flick, the creative team sought to emulate the experience of Formula 1 racing in a manner as authentic as possible. That included an actual pit crew amid production. Brad Pitt, while alongside co-star Javier Bardem, spoke about a fake tattoo that figured into the film. From there, Pitt was reminded of a not-so-flattering design error made to the pit crew’s attire:
I’ll tell you a funny story about tramp stamps…. Our day one at Silverstone, they kitted out – we had a garage between Ferrari and Mercedes. They kitted out – we had [a] real pit crew. They kitted them out with, you know, Apex [motions to top of chest] . But, on the back, they had printed – because this is sometimes where sports and designers don’t talk – right here on the tramp stamp it said ‘action factory.’ And they got so much shit from the neighboring teams…. They pulled those shirts and redid them.
What the Oscar winner describes honestly sounds like a gag that would’ve been scripted in a comedy film of some sort. The notion of seeing the words “action factory” labeled across the bottom of one’s person is just too funny. Brad Pitt and Javier Bardem seem to share my feelings, as they were also laughing about the situation during their interview with Access Hollywood. While the gear was eventually altered accordingly, the interviewer astutely said one of the OG fits would now be priceless, and one of Pitt’s famous friends now has one:
I saved one for my friend, Dax Shepard.
So, if I were Dax Shepard, I’d hold onto that shirt as tightly as I could. As someone who appreciates movie memorabilia, I can surely see the value in keeping that sweet item. A shirt with the words “action factory” on it could also be quite the conversation starter. Of course, there’s far more to the production of F1 than the outfits that people wear when they appear on screen.
As part of the production, Brad Pitt had to get behind the wheel as did his co-star, Damson Idris. Joseph Kosinski explained that two real F2 race cars were purchased and that his team worked in tandem with engineers to instruct vehicles that could carry camera equipment and more. It seems that both Idris and Pitt had plenty of help while they prepped for principal photography, as professional Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton had their backs as well. Hopefully, all of that comes together to help create an exciting big-screen experience.
That may indeed be the case, as critics are praising F1 so far, referring to it as “a hell of a ride.” Joseph Kosinski had a different set of challenges to contend with following his previous film, the blockbuster behemoth Top Gun: Maverick. I never would’ve imagined that outfits with tramp stamp-positioned decals would account for one of the smaller obstacles that Kosinski and co. would have to deal with. Still, the fact that Brad Pitt now has a funny story to tell based on that – and that Dax Shepard now has a new shirt – is just great.
F1 roars into cinemas on June 27, and be sure to catch the flick on the biggest screen possible.
