Pitt plays Sonny Hayes in the blockbuster film, a former F1 driver who makes his comeback at the fictional APXGP team to partner rookie team mate Joshua Pearce (played by Damson Idris). Long before Brad Pitt's F1 movie put the spotlight on fictional driver Sonny Hayes ' return to the grid, Formula 1 was being shaped by the real-life comebacks that inspired many. Martin Donnelly is a former F1 racer whose real-life car crash inspired the backstory of Sonny Hayes in “F1 The Movie”, find out more about it below F1: The Movie is a new and upcoming documentary-style movie that features Brad Pitt as the main star. Is Sonny Hayes Based on a Real F1 Racer? Helmed by Joseph Kosinski, ‘F1: The Movie’ tells the story of Sonny Hayes , a former Formula One prodigy who comes out of an early retirement.