Abhiroop Das
Joseph Kosinski’s ‘F1’ tells the shared story of two race car drivers who couldn’t be more different from each other. While Sonny Hayes is a retired Formula One prodigy back in the fray after decades, his partner Joshua Pearce is a new name and has yet to carve out his presence in the larger world of racing. Together, they form a yin and yang relationship, balancing each other’s flaws while striving for perfection. Much like Sonny, Joshua has his own demons, and he soon realizes that he must confront them to truly hone his craft. To that end, the story explores his life away from the wheel, shining light on his deeper internal struggles and how they often seep out of his mind and into his actions. As such, Joshua’s growth as a character, teammate, and racer becomes the movie’s heart. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Joshua Pearce’s Character is Informed by Actor Damson Idris’s Personal Experiences
Created by writers Ehren Kruger and Joseph Kosinski, Joshua Pearce is a fictional character who becomes one of two protagonists in ‘F1.’ As a budding race driver, he foils Sonny Hayes at seemingly every turn, matching his sheer experience with an endless pursuit for self-improvement. During a conversation with the ‘F1 Nation’ podcast, actor Damson Idris spoke about the work that went behind his portrayal of the young prodigy, stating, “Every single rookie goes through the same feeling and not even just in Formula 1,” Idris said. “They’re always trying to prove themselves, even a young actor. I really related to that.” Additionally, he compared his character to the real-life football player Lamine Yamal, pointing to their similar attitudes and raw talent.
While Idris’s acting chops play a significant role in bringing Joshua Pearce to life, the character’s ability as a race driver is also influenced by the actor’s performance and skill. During the podcast, he described his intense preparation for the role, recalling how he was committed to the role before he was even selected for it. The actor described himself driving in California to get a taste of the craft, while also downloading the F1 game, and creating the persona of Joshua Pearce, before ultimately winning an in-game tournament. He then continued, describing the actual process of becoming a part of the movie: “When I finally came to England, I went to Bedford, Palmer Sports. They shoved me in the F3000, and I drove around there (…) When you watch the movie, you could see that all that authenticity was put on the screen.”
Some of the Key Moments in Joshua’s Story Are Inspired by Real Events
While Idris’s personal experiences played a major role in shaping the character of Joshua Pearce, some of the individual beats in his storyline were also partially based on real life. Through all of his ups and downs, Joshua’s watershed moment in the story is also a harrowing one, as he finds himself in the middle of an explosive crash. Things seem dire for the young protagonist, but he is ultimately rescued by Sonny with no life-threatening injuries. The incident is not just visually striking but also serves as a springboard for further character development. According to Joseph Kosinski, Joshua’s accident is a composite of two real-life accidents in the professional racing realm.
During an interview with GQ, Kosinski spoke about the two sources of inspiration in detail. He describes the first case as a Formula Three accident that took place “about ten years ago, where a car hit a sausage turn off Parabolica, which is an infamous corner with a lot of accidents over history.” While he did not elaborate on the details of the incident, it bears a close resemblance to the car crash of a Formula Three driver named Alex Peroni. Reportedly, the crash flung his vehicle into the air before it landed upside down. While this case has clear parallels to the events of ‘F1,’ they end differently, as Peroni walked his way to medical aid on his own, as opposed to Joshua, who was rescued by his teammate. The other accident referenced in the film is that of Romain Grosjean, who had a near-fatal crash during the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix.
During the opening lap of the Grand Prix, Grosjean’s vehicle hit a metal crash barrier, and the resulting pressure was strong enough to split the vehicle into two and start a fire. Grosjean survived with second-degree burns and was aided by his fellow race drivers. The accident resulted in an enormous fireball, which is markedly similar to the visual depiction of Joshua’s accident in the film. However, this runs into the same differences as the other accident, with the film version of the events having a different ending. Grosjean’s accident marked the end of his Formula One career, but the same does not apply to Joshua, reiterating his nature as a fictional construct informed by reality. Joshua’s accident only uses its real-life antecedents as a springboard to delve into the deeper threads of the movie.
Read More: Is Sonny Hayes Based on a Real F1 Racer?
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