Around a year after featuring in the blockbuster F1 movie, Damson Idris is officially trading fictional racing for the real thing. The British actor has been named a global brand ambassador for Formula 1, which has accelerated from the big screen to the heart of global motorsport.
The announcement comes just as the sport prepares to launch one of its most transformative seasons yet, with new cars, new engine regulations, and a wave of anticipation heading into the 2026 campaign.
F1’s Damson Idris is Formula 1’s official ambassador now
Damson Idris formally joined the Formula 1 family on February 25 in a partnership that bridges the racing organization with the entertainment industry. The actor will attend Grands Prix, collaborate on content initiatives, and help introduce new audiences to the sport.
“I’m delighted to welcome Damson Idris officially to the Formula 1 family,” quipped Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of F1. “In Formula 1, we are all about authenticity and Damson is passionate about the sport and shares our vision to grow it, so it’s fantastic that we’ll continue to work with him,” he added.
Damson Idris’s connection to racing started during the production of the F1 movie. The Joseph Kosinski-directed film, also starring Brad Pitt, grossed over $630 million globally and got four Academy Award nominations. Shot at real Grand Prix weekends, the production placed Idris inside actual paddocks alongside teams and drivers.
“I’ve always been drawn to spaces where culture, performance, and precision meet, and Formula 1 sits right at the centre of that,” Idris said. “I had an enormous amount of respect for it before making the film. But getting closer to it gave me a real understanding of the innovation, the heart, and the intensity behind everything, and the elite level the drivers operate at,” he further stated.
Earlier this week, Idris kicked off the new F1 season by featuring in the “All To Drive For” campaign. The 60-second trailer features Idris alongside 22 drivers on the current grid, hyping the dramatic changes coming to the sport in 2026.
The 2026 Formula 1 season opens in Melbourne, Australia, on March 6.
Originally reported by Devanshi Basu on ComingSoon.
