'F1's Sequel Needs To Include an Epic Matchup With This '90s Movie

6 days ago 9

Published Feb 21, 2026, 9:10 AM EST

Chris Williams is a writer with more than 20 years of experience writing about film.

He began his career working as a reporter for the Advisor and Source Newspapers in Shelby Township, Michigan, where he also served as the resident film critic. He has also written for Patheos and CinemaNerdz. Since 2020, Chris has written the Chrisicisms newsletter, which features reviews of recent film releases and thoughts on a variety of subjects.

Chris holds a B.A. in communications and an emphasis in journalism and an M.A. in communications with an emphasis on media arts and studies, both from Wayne State University in Detroit.

He lives in the Detroit area with his wife and his son and daughter.

It was recently announced that F1: The Movie will get a sequel. That shouldn’t be surprising; the film was both a critical and commercial hit built around one of the world’s most popular and marketable sports. Joseph Kosinski blended IMAX-scale spectacle with old-fashioned movie star charisma to deliver a film sold on immersion, craft, and pure velocity. But the sequel immediately raises a question the first film deliberately leaves open: where can Brad Pitt’s Sonny Hayes go next?

To justify its existence, the next film needs more than a bigger budget or faster cars. The answer may be hiding in plain sight: turn the sequel into a stealth legacy crossover by folding Days of Thunder directly into the world of F1. Bringing Brad Pitt face-to-face with Tom Cruise would instantly raise the sequel’s stakes and give it a built-in thematic framework about legacy, risk, and whether speed means the same thing when both the sport and its stars have evolved.

Combining ‘Days of Thunder’ and ‘F1’ Would Be a Team-Up For the Ages

In Days of Thunder, Cruise played Cole Trickle as a raw, gifted driver powered almost entirely by ego. He barely understood the danger of his own talent, mistaking recklessness for destiny. That makes him a compelling counterpoint to Sonny Hayes, who enters F1 already carrying scars, regret, and an awareness of what speed has cost him. Even Sonny’s former teammate Joshua Pearce (Damon Idris) echoed Cole’s younger impulses, defined by arrogance and impatience.

Dropping an older Cole into modern Formula One would immediately generate conflict. Stock car racing rewards instinct and aggression, while F1 demands precision, restraint, and constant collaboration with engineers and data teams. Cole would arrive as a relic of a different racing philosophy. Sonny, by contrast, has already adapted, or at least tried to. It would provide redemption for a franchise seen by Cruise's fans as an also-ran to Top Gun and provide the Oscar-nominated F1 with an exciting sequel hook beyond doing it all again.

Brad Pitt wearing shades and raising his eyebrows in 'F1'

There are multiple ways to structure the conflict for maximum tension. Cole could return as a disruptive rival, pulled back into racing as a publicity gamble or a last-ditch attempt to stabilize a struggling team. He could be tasked with mentoring a young driver, only to find himself clashing with Sonny over philosophy, approach, and pride. Just as compelling would be forcing the two into an uneasy partnership that pushes the two aging icons into the same garage. Top Gun: Maverick showed Cruise is willing to lean into age, and F1’s strongest off-the-track moments came when Sonny doubted his instincts. Watching both men confront those doubts together would add real dramatic weight.

It has been more than 30 years since Cruise and Pitt last shared the screen in Interview With the Vampire. In that time, their star personas have hardened into something almost mythic. Pitt brings a laid-back cool that reads as earned wisdom; Cruise brings relentless intensity that refuses to age. On paper, crossing Days of Thunder with F1 might sound like a cash grab. In practice, it’s an opportunity to push both actors into sharp, competitive performances. Cruise’s cocksure assurance colliding with Pitt’s weary confidence could be combustible, funny, and unexpectedly vulnerable. That chemistry alone would elevate the sequel above a standard sports follow-up.

The Creative Infrastructure For a 'Days of Thunder' Crossover Is Already in Place

Brad Pitt and Damson Idris in racing outfits walking with others in F1.

Days of Thunder and F1 share producer Jerry Bruckheimer, and Cruise has a long-standing creative relationship with F1 Joseph Kosinski via Oblivion and Top Gun: Maverick. Kosinski has openly floated the crossover idea, and his career makes the case for why it could work. Top Gun: Maverick proved audiences are eager to revisit iconic characters when the execution respects both past and present. That matters, especially since Days of Thunder was originally marketed as doing for stock car racing what Top Gun did for fighter jets.

Jerry Bruckheimer’s involvement further strengthens the case. Few producers understand how to balance star power and high-concept spectacle better than he does, and Bruckheimer always seems open to sequels. Cruise’s loyalty to directors he trusts — combined with the apparent winding down of the Mission: Impossible franchise — makes a return to Cole Trickle plausible. Kosinski’s ability to ground spectacle in character would be essential if F1 wants to expand without tipping into self-parody. Of course, there are obstacles. F1 was an Apple and Warner Bros. collaboration, and Days of Thunder is a Paramount property, and there are likely several intricacies involved in combining the two franchises, but a team-up would not only up the ante for F1, but bring Days of Thunder out of retirement after decades, much like Maverick did.

A Crossover Would Make the Sequel Necessary, Not Optional

Without a bold swing, an F1 sequel risks becoming a faster lap around the same track. Bringing Tom Cruise into the fold through a Days of Thunder crossover would transform an impressive sequel into a must-see. Pitt versus Cruise would be the headline, but the real appeal is thematic.

The film could explore how competition changes with age, how ego can evolve or calcify, and whether speed is still worth chasing when it no longer defines you. It could lead to a sequel that retains the original film’s speed, noise, and immersion while also upping the stakes and deepening its characters. And it would allow Cruise to take one final lap as Cole Trickle in a way that feels innovative, rather than just another do-it-again legacy sequel.

F1 is available to stream on Apple TV in the U.S.