“F1” Arrived on Apple TV+ After Breaking a Record Even Apple Didn’t Expect

"F1: The Movie", now available on Apple TV+, carries quite a track record for an original film without a franchise behind it: it was, by far, the biggest box-office success ever produced by Apple.

In theaters, its trajectory is impressive. Starring Brad Pitt and directed by Joseph Kosinski (the same director of "Top Gun: Maverick"), the film grossed more than US$ 630 million worldwide against a budget of around US$ 250 million — making it, without any dispute, the biggest success of Pitt's career as a leading man, even surpassing "World War Z". It was also the first major box-office success for Apple Original Films in theaters, after years of investing in productions geared more toward prestige than box-office returns.

The success now within Apple TV+ itself has a straightforward logic: the platform knows it has its biggest commercial success case to date in its hands, and reinforces the title in its recommendations as proof that it can compete on equal footing with the major traditional studios. Besides that, the Formula 1 universe remains consistently popular — and any production that taps into this interest tends to stay relevant for longer than average.

It's also worth remembering the team behind the cameras: with production by Lewis Hamilton and scenes filmed on real tracks during actual races, the film carries an authenticity that sports fans notice — and it's exactly this kind of detail that tends to generate word-of-mouth recommendations, even after the film leaves theaters.

From its first major surge in theaters to the top of streaming months later, "F1" continues to prove that betting on the real pace of racing, instead of a franchise formula, can also become a blockbuster.