New ‘F1’ Movie Trailer Lets You Literally Feel the Action

By Danial Martinus • 13 Jun 2025 in Cars

Thirsty for JUICE content? Quench your cravings on our Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and WhatsApp

In a move that’s part tech flex, part Hollywood stunt, Apple just dropped the world’s first haptic-enabled movie trailer for F1, the adrenaline-fuelled racing film starring Brad Pitt and Damson Idris.

This isn’t your usual film trailer. Apple has made use of its signature Taptic Engine—the same tech that gives your iPhone those subtle taps when typing or receiving calls—to give you a truly four-dimensional viewing experience.

Now, instead of just hearing the roar of an F1 engine, your phone rumbles in sync with it. Every tyre skid, gear shift, and hairpin turn? You’ll literally feel it in your hands.

Only available on iPhones (sorry, Android users)

The trailer, available only on iPhones running iOS 18.4 via the Apple TV app, uses precision-timed vibrations to mirror the on-screen action.

It’s not just the big stuff either. Sure, you’ll get a jolt when Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) launches off the starting grid, but you’ll also notice the soft click of a seatbelt snapping in, or the delicate bouncing of balls against a wall as Hayes gets lost in contemplation.

It’s all thanks to the Taptic Engine—that tiny piece of hardware tucked inside your iPhone that’s usually reserved for things like notifications and UI feedback. Apple’s basically reprogrammed it to behave like a mini-soundstage, vibrating in patterns that match specific audio cues and motion beats in the trailer.

And somehow, it doesn’t feel gimmicky (not to this writer, at least). It feels… cool. Controlled. Like Apple’s reminding everyone that their tech isn’t just powerful, it’s cinematic.

A trailer that you have to feel to believe

F1, directed by Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick), follows Brad Pitt as a retired Formula One legend who returns to mentor a hotshot rookie, played by Damson Idris. It was filmed using real Formula cars, featuring real Formula 1 drivers.

The cars that Pitt and Idris drive in the film (yes, they drove) are actually Formula 2 cars modified by Mercedes to look like their Formula 1 counterparts. The film has quietly garnered a healthy amount of hype, even before its scheduled premiere on 25 June 2025.

But this haptic trailer is the kind of marketing that makes you stop scrolling and start paying attention.

Once you’re on iOS 18.4, just head to the Apple TV app and look for the specially marked F1 trailer. As it plays, your iPhone reacts in real time. A buzz when the lights go green, a jolt during a crash, and a low hum during quieter, high-tension scenes. It’s subtle but immersive, and it genuinely adds a new layer to the experience.

This is the first time a major studio has used smartphone haptics to promote a film. It’s a move that blurs the line between movie and media device, pushing Apple deeper into entertainment territory while flexing its hardware muscle in the process.

It’s a showcase of what happens when Hollywood storytelling meets Cupertino engineering.

Whether you’re a racing fan, a tech nerd, or just someone who loves a good trailer, this haptic drop is worth checking out. It’s short, punchy, and unlike anything else on your phone right now.

If you can’t enjoy the haptic trailer ’cause you’re on Android, you can watch the regular trailer below: