- Global ambassador Damson Idris names former champion as his hero and favourite.
- The actor shares filming insights from Joseph Kosinski’s Oscar-winning Apple F1 movie.
- Idris recalls standing alongside elite drivers during the national anthem at Silverstone.
Damson Idris, the now-global ambassador of F1, revealed who his favourite among the 22 drivers is and also gave insight into his experience filming Apple’s F1 movie, alongside the talented grid.
Idris played Joshua Pearce in the Joseph Kosinski-directed movie, which recently took home the Oscar for Best Sound category.
The sports film follows the story of Sonny Hayes, who gave up on his F1 career following a tragedy on track in the 1990s. He gets a shot at redemption when his friend, the owner of a struggling F1 team, invites him to race once again alongside rookie Joshua. Accepting the offer, he comes out of retirement, faces his fears, and helps the team get back on track.
Idris reveals his favourite F1 Driver
As F1 welcomed Idris to the family, he addressed several questions about the campaign, his responsibilities as a brand ambassador, his thoughts on this elite sport, and working in the F1 movie. At the time, he was asked who his favourite driver is from the past or present. He revealed that, similar to his character Joshua in the Apple movie, his favourite driver is Lewis Hamilton, whom he considers “a hero” and a “dear friend.”
While Hamilton produced F1, he also appeared in brief moments across the movie. Joshua and Hamilton had one scene in particular, where the duo were involved in an intense, silent confrontation, which fans loved. It was basically a “stareout scene” as Hamilton likes to call it, which happened during the filming when the red flag was waved, the safety car emerged, and he came out of the car with his helmet off. The moment of tension between them literally sent chills through the fans and aptly captured the “Hamilton aura.”
Idris shares F1 movie experience and an unforgettable moment
During the same conversation, Idris opened up about how working closely with several F1 drivers has aided his knowledge of the sport and how excited he is to meet them again in the paddock, now as an ambassador.
He said, “I was able to be a sponge through being around the drivers. They made it way more authentic. I’m super excited to be up close through this ambassadorship.”
He further revealed that his most memorable moment while filming was when he stood beside the drivers and sang the national anthem at Silverstone circuit before walking the grid. As the F1 season has already begun, he expressed excitement about how the drivers now adapt to new rules. He feels that the ever-evolving nature of the sport keeps making racing “exciting.”
