Damson Idris was trying to tune out the noise, but that's a little difficult at a Formula One race. The British-Nigerian actor was in the zone, in character, filming the high-octane summer movie “F1” with Brad Pitt at some of the world’s most famous racetracks.

The actor stars with Brad Pitt in 'F1,' a new drama about elite racing sport Formula 1 Damson Idris tells PEOPLE that his driving got "a lot safer" after filming his new movie F1 “I have so much respect for F1 drivers and the speeds that they reach,

The high-octane sports drama follows Sonny Hayes (Pitt), a retired Formula One driver who’s drawn back into the world of racing to mentor a hotshot rookie, played by Idris, for the fictional Apex Grand Prix team. The film also stars Javier Bardem, Kerry Condon and Tobias Menzies.