F1 box office & how much it needs to make to break even

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As a gaming enthusiast, I’m buzzing about Brad Pitt and Joseph Kosinski’s high-speed thrill ride, F1. It’s blazing through cinemas with an impressive debut at the box office. But here’s the million-dollar question: How much more does it need to earn?

Throughout his career, Kosinski has consistently shown himself to be an accomplished commercial filmmaker. His films, such as Tron: Legacy earning over $400 million, Oblivion grossing nearly $290 million, and Top Gun: Maverick being one of the highest-grossing movies ever made, are testaments to his skill in the industry.

Based on its remarkable performance during the initial weekend (details coming up soon), Formula One seems to be extending its successful run.

The upcoming movie features Brad Pitt portraying Sonny Hayes, a once-prominent NASCAR driver and former Formula One rising star, who is brought on board the APXGP team due to lack of members. However, instead of being a teammate, Pearce (played by Damson Idris), a newcomer, becomes his rival on the racetrack.

F1 box office so far

F1 has made $144 million worldwide so far.

This accomplishment is truly remarkable! For a point of comparison, this earnings figure surpasses all previous records set by Apple TV’s releases. In fact, it outperformed the opening weekend of “Killers of the Flower Moon” with a staggering $44 million, making it Apple TV’s most successful box office debut ever.

Additionally, Sinners has one of the largest opening weekends for an original movie this year, despite some claiming it’s a spin-off from an existing series (comparably, if we apply that reasoning to Rocky, it wouldn’t be considered an original film given its boxing theme). For instance, Sinners grossed approximately $63.5 million in its inaugural weekend.

F1 budget

The specific amount allocated for Formula One racing isn’t set yet, but estimates suggest it could range from approximately 200 million dollars to as much as 300 million dollars.

The film on Apple TV is undeniably their costliest production to date, factoring in the salaries of Pitt and his team, as well as the elaborate practical sets featuring actual vehicles. Yet, it’s not approaching a whopping $300 million, as stated by directors Kosinski and producer Jerry Bruckheimer.

The director expressed uncertainty about the origin of a certain figure, as quoted by Screen Rant, and Bruckheimer pointed out that the estimates seemed to be significantly off, in an incorrect manner, to the tune of tens of millions.

How much does F1 need to make?

To keep things straightforward, let’s assume that Team F1 operated on a budget of approximately $250 million. This means their break-even point would be roughly $625 million.

It’s often thought that for a film to cover all its expenses, including exhibition fees, merchandising costs, taxes, and other related charges, it must earn about 2.5 times its original budget.

In regards to Formula One (F1), it gets a bit murky. To begin with, it’s not entirely clear how much was allocated for marketing and whether this amount is encompassed within the stated $250 million budget.

Additionally, since the movie is financed by Apple TV, it has alternative methods to earn income, such as through streaming. This means that the film’s box office success might not be as crucial as it is for other movies because of these additional revenue streams.

In the world of ‘F1’, Apple reportedly secured over $40 million in sponsorships from more than a dozen companies for their fictional team, APX GP. Among these sponsors, Expensify is said to have paid a significant amount, likely in the nine figures (hundreds of millions), to be the team’s title sponsor. (via: Sports Business Journal)

— ScreenTime (@screentime) June 30, 2025

In third place, it has amassed quite a significant sum from sponsorship deals – approximately $40 million, as reported by Forbes in an interview with its film’s product placement producer, David Leener.

According to reports, Expensify, a global leader in digital expense management, splurged a large amount of money, equivalent to nine figures, to become the main sponsor of the F1 racing team in the movie.

As a devoted admirer, I’d like to share a profound insight from Expensify’s CEO, David Barrett: “This journey has an everlasting quality. It’s essential to comprehend that you’re partaking in something far greater than your initial intentions. Just hold tight and enjoy the ride.

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2025-06-30 19:19