Brad Pitt’s highly anticipated film F1 has ultimately come to theaters, and enthusiasts are flocking to see the adrenaline-fueled return of fictional ex-Formula One motorist Sonny Hayes. Directed by Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski and produced by Hollywood titan Jerry Bruckheimer, the film has already generated buzz both for its in-race tension and for its possible suggestions of where the storyline might be going in the future.
No Post-Credit Scene, But a Mid-Credit Surprise
Audiences anticipating a conventional post-credit tease might be in for a surprise. F1 has no post-credit scene. But, similar to most high-budget franchises, the movie does have a mid-credit sequence that is generating a buzz among fans.
Sonny Hayes shows up in the mid-credits scene in Baja, California, a harsh desert area renowned for off-road racing events like the Baja 1000. The dust-covered and seemingly introspective Hayes approaches a group of locals who are an off-road racing team and says, “Still looking for a driver?”
The following shot cuts to Hayes driving, racing aggressively along the sandy landscape. The scene picks up on his unrelenting desire for competition, presenting an untamed and experiential racing world apart from Formula One. The desert sequence follows a previous scene in the film where Hayes weighed the Baja racing circuit against Ruben’s F1 team offer. Hans Zimmer’s driving score adds to the intensity of the scene, emphasizing the character’s unrelenting drive for adrenaline-filled challenges.
What It Means for the Future of F1
While the mid-credits scene is fascinating, it does not necessarily establish a sequel. Rather, it delivers an open-ended final shot that leaves the door open for potential sequels. The rocky desert sequence may eventually serve as a springboard for a spinoff centered on off-road racing. But with F1’s enormous $141 million budget and its evident emphasis on Formula One’s international following, a Baja-based continuation feels less probable.
More realistic sequel directions involve Sonny Hayes guiding an up-and-coming star or battling a tough competitor team, particularly with Damson Idris’s character at the forefront of the present narrative. These options would keep consistent with the film’s ensemble cast and overarching F1 theme while providing opportunity for character growth and new drama.
