Why “F1” movie actor Callie Cooke completed a real pitstop at the British GP

Callie Cooke, who plays pitcrew member Jodie in the F1 movie, has revealed details on the audition process and performing a real-life pitstop at the 2024 British Grand Prix. 

The 31-year-old was the only actor on the pitcrew for the fictional APXGP team and was joined by mechanics, engineers, or stuntmen. “It was one of the best experiences of my life,” Cooke explained to BBC Radio Northampton.

As part of her final audition for the part to star alongside Brad Pitt and Damson Idris, Cooke joined Carlin Motorsport for the day, getting stuck into oil and tyre changes. She argued that being able to hold her own in that environment contributed to her getting the job.

“I spent the day there and I was changing the tyres and I was changing the oil, changing the wing of the car, and just seeing if I could exist in the world of a garage,” she explained.

“I think it did kind of help growing up in Northampton and not far from Silverstone because I do know a lot of people that work with cars, and I just got stuck in that garage.

“I knew that if I was going to play a woman in this male-dominated industry, I was just going to have to hold my own and get stuck in, and I think maybe that’s how I got the job.”

The actor shared a behind the scenes look at her training on social media, where she worked with former Sauber head of race strategy Ruth Buscombe.

“Learning the job for real was so special. My first time holding a wheel gun with our casting team Lucy Bevan & Emily Brockmann, the weeks spent training with Carlin Performance, and then months annoying the real teams and our experts with a million questions a day (proof of me chewing Ruth Buscombe’s ear off in pic). So grateful to you all and to represent women in this magical sport. What a ride”

Cooke also revealed that she was able to take part in a real-life pitstop alongside the crew from the film during the 2024 British Grand Prix weekend. 

“We did a real pitstop in between Mercedes and Ferrari, and we did it as quick as the other teams. It was just mad. I don’t know how they ever let us get away with it, to be honest.”

Having grown up in Northampton, the British actor explained that the experience was “so special and so real.

“It’s just been the coolest thing,” she added.

The F1 movie, directed by Joseph Kosinski and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, was released internationally on 25 June and in North America on 27 June. After just 10 days, it had generated $293 million at the global box office, making it Apple’s highest-grossing film yet.