26th June 2025: Marking the release of the highly anticipated F1 movie, IWC Schaffhausen, brought the thrill of the racetrack to the heart of London with an exclusive screening event.
Taking centre stage was F1’s star Damson Idris, who portrays rookie driver Joshua Pearce. Fresh from the global premiere circuit, Damson joined IWC for an intimate evening to share in the excitement of the film’s launch and reflect on what it means to debut his biggest role yet in his hometown.
“It was amazing,” said Damson. “My whole family got to come down, and my mum even got a photo with Brad Pitt - I’ve never seen her blush like that.”
During a conversation ahead of the screening, Damson also touched on his connection with Lewis Hamilton. “Lewis always teases me about spinning out at Silverstone, telling me I’m not driving fast enough - he’s like a big brother,” he laughed. “But honestly, John Krasinski and Jerry Bruckheimer really cared about this project, and I think when people watch it, they’ll see that.”
The rising star, whose presence has electrified the red carpet this year, from the Met Gala to global F1 press stops, opened up about the whirlwind of the last few weeks, the journey to embodying his character, and what it’s been like stepping into the high-octane world of motorsport.
“I’m a South East London boy, so to be back here for this, it feels incredible. The film’s been two years in the making and for everyone to finally see it, and actually love it, that’s a great feeling.”
With F1 already being tipped as a summer blockbuster, the London screening served as both a celebration and a homecoming for Idris, a star well and truly on the rise.
Collaborating with the Movie, F1, IWC Schaffhausen are the official sponsor of ‘APXGP’, the 11th fictional team on the grid in the film – extending the brand's ties from the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One™ team to the big screen. IWC designed an exclusive APXGP collection and fitted the whole team with watches for the movie- worn by actors Damson Idris, Javier Bardem and Kerry Condon’s characters and team members such as mechanics and engineers.
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Notes to Editors
ABOUT IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN
IWC Schaffhausen is a leading Swiss luxury watch manufacturer based in Schaffhausen in the north-eastern part of Switzerland. With collections like the Portugieser and the Pilot’s Watches, the brand covers the whole spectrum from elegant to sports watches. Founded in 1868 by the American watchmaker and engineer Florentine Ariosto Jones, IWC is known for its unique engineering approach to watchmaking, combining the best of human craftsmanship and creativity with cutting-edge technology and processes.
Over its more than 150-year history, IWC has earned a reputation for creating professional instrument watches and functional complications, especially chronographs and calendars, which are ingenious, robust, and easy for customers to use. A pioneer in the use of titanium and ceramics, IWC today specialises in highly engineered watch cases manufactured from advanced materials, such as coloured ceramics, Ceratanium®, and titanium aluminide.
A leader in sustainable luxury watchmaking, IWC sources materials responsibly and takes action to minimise its impact on the environment. Along the pillars of transparency, circularity, and responsibility, the brand crafts timepieces built to last for generations and continuously improves every element of how it manufactures, distributes, and services its products in the most responsible way. IWC also partners with organisations that work globally to support children and young people.
26 June 2025
