Ahead of the theatrical release of F1, fans of Simone Ashley are calling the movie out for limiting her screen time. Now, they’re finally getting some answers.
F1 stars Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies, Kim Bodnia, Javier Bardem and Shea Whigham. The film is set to be released in the U.S. on June 27, 2025.
Numerous blogs and social media users complained of Ashley’s absence from most of the movie in early screenings, causing director Joseph Kosinski to address the chatter about her role.
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Read on to learn what fans had to say about her limited appearance in the film and what Kosinski had to say about her near-total absence.
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What Was Simone Ashley’s Role in ‘F1’?
It was first announced in July 2024 that Ashley had joined the cast of F1. She was seen filming at the British Grand Prix in Northampton, England, that same month. The film was shot at real-life Grand Prix events beginning in July 2023. At the time, more details about Ashley’s role were not revealed.
“Obviously, with the strikes and delays, we finally wrapped in Abu Dhabi in December,” the actress told Deadline in March 2025. “It’s been a long time, and you know, it’s Damson and Brad’s movie. I’m just so grateful that I can be part of it, and yeah, we’ve toured with the Grand Prix. We were filming at the real races.”
She also reflected on sharing the screen with Pitt, saying that the experience was “really great” and “really lovely.”
“Just grateful I got to be part of it. I mean, it’s a Brad Pitt movie. [It’s] kind of awesome,” Ashley continued.
Ashley reflected on some of the coordination that went on behind the scenes when it came to filming during real sporting events.
“You had to work as a team. Sometimes, we literally had one take for certain shots,” she said. “Like, you’d see on the call sheet eight minutes to get this one thing because we were shooting alongside the races.”
“It was amazing, the adrenaline,” Ashley continued. “It was kind of like theater. It felt so live … You hear the crowd and the fireworks and the cars. Everything’s just so fast-paced and noisy, and we’re all together as a little unit. It was just one of the craziest things I think I’ve ever been part of.”
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Fans Called Out Simone Ashley’s Lack of Screen Time in ‘F1’
Speculation first began on TikTok that Ashley’s role had been significantly reduced two weeks ahead of the film’s theatrical release. One TikTok user claimed in a June 14, 2025, video that “her role has been reduced down to almost just a cameo.”
One person commented on the video, writing, “Thanks for the heads up. I was literally only going to watch it for her lol. Will be skipping.”
Another person commented, “Was wondering where she was in the new trailers for this.”
In a second June 14 TikTok video about the subject, a creator asked, “Why am I hearing her scenes got cut?” along with sharing a screenshot from a blog post about Ashley’s reduced role in the film.
“I won’t be seeing it now,” one commenter declared, while another said, “I’m really upset about this.”
Why Was Simone Ashley’s Role Reduced in ‘F1’?
Kosinski spoke out after speculation about Ashley’s reduced role in the film continued to grow online. She does appear briefly in the film but does not have any lines.
“It happens on every film, where you have to shoot more than you can use,” Kosinski told People on June 16, 2025. “There were two or three storylines that ultimately didn’t make it into the final cut.”
“But Simone, she’s an incredible talent, incredible actress, incredible singer and I would love to work with her again,” he added.
Ashley did not publicly address the fact that her dialogue was cut from F1.
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