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Oscars 2026: What 'F1's' Damson Idris Really Learned From Working With Brad Pitt
Damson Idris is ready to put his career in the fast lane.
As the F1 star arrived at the 2026 Oscars—hosted by Conan O’Brien at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood March 15—he detailed how his costar Brad Pitt taught him how to build “longevity” as he moves forward in his career.
“This is a long game,” Damson told Zuri Hall on Live from E!: Oscars 2026. “Ups and downs. [He has taught me:] Don't chase moments, chase legacy. And I'm doing that with the roles that I play. F1 is just the start.”
The 34-year-old—who sported a satin blue Prada suit on the red carpet—added, “There's so many amazing movies to come, from Children of Blood and Bone to [portraying] Miles Davis, I'm really excited for where I go in my career.”
Of course, Damson didn’t just take life lessons from Brad—he also took the title of Fastest Driver.
As he put it, “I am. I'm actually faster than Brad.”
But while Damson and the Oceans 11 star had fun building a bond, Brad also enjoyed pursuing one of his passions with F1, which is nominated for Best Picture.
“I’ve always loved racing,” Brad told Formula 1 in June. "I grew up with Jackie Stewart [racing in F1 as] some of my earliest memories. In the ’90s I really got heavily into MotoGP. Then I started veering into F1, and here we are. I’ve been trying to get a racing movie done for 20 years. I’ve tried bikes, I’ve tried cars, I’ve tried different disciplines, and for whatever reason they never came to fruition.”
But thanks to a "great push," Brad, alongside Damson, was more than ready to finally embrace the track.
Frazer Harrison/WireImage
“I think by the time we get to the movie, it’s undeniable that we are driving the cars," Brad told the outlet. "We’re not sitting on a sound stage with wind machines…I don’t know where I go from here. You can’t compete with this experience. It’s almost like when we get to the acting scenes, you kind of go, ‘Oh, okay, no driving today!’ It’s really been amazing.”
And thanks to real-life racing icons such as Lewis Hamilton visiting the set, Brad was able to operate at full speed during filming.
“Everyone has had a hand honing this thing," the Babylon star noted, "then Lewis coming in for the ultimate ‘smell test.' It’s really fun, it’s exciting, it’s adventurous, and you feel it. I do. I hope others do too.”
Keep reading for a look at every celeb at the 2026 Oscars...
George Pimentel/Shutterstock
Benicio del Toro
in Christian Louboutin shoes.
George Pimentel/Shutterstock
Ethan Hawke
Photo by JC Olivera/WWD via Getty Images
Regina Hall
in Yara Shoemaker and Pomellato jewelry.
Photo by Maya Dehlin/Disney via Getty Images
Channing Tatum
in Versace and Tiffany & Co. jewelry.
David Fisher/Shutterstock
Michael B. Jordan
in custom Louis Vuitton.
Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas
in Loewe and Swarovski jewelry.
David Fisher/Shutterstock
Pedro Pascal
in Chanel.
Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images
Amanda Anka & Jason Bateman
Arturo Holmes/Getty Images
Gwyneth Paltrow
in Giorgio Armani and Tiffany & Co. jewelry.
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Demi Moore
in custom Gucci.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
Zoe Saldana
in Saint Laurent.
David Fisher/Shutterstock
Odessa A'zion
in Valentino and Pandora jewelry.
Shutterstock
Zinzi Coogler & Ryan Coogler
Arturo Holmes/Getty Images
Wagner Moura
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Rei Ami
in custom Rahul Mishra, Flor de Maria shoes and David Webb jewelry.
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
EJAE
in custom Dior.
John Shearer/WireImage
Kelly Ripa & Mark Consuelos
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Audrey Nuna
in custom Thom Browne.
John Shearer/WireImage
Jessie Buckley
in custom Chanel.
David Fisher/Shutterstock
Ellie Kemper
George Pimentel/Shutterstock
Kieran Culkin
in Paul Smith.
Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Image
May Hong
in archive Roberto Cavalli.
Lexie Moreland/WWD via Getty Images
Miles Caton
in Amiri.
David Fisher/Shutterstock
Heidi Klum
in Chrome Hearts .
David Fisher/Shutterstock
Chase Infiniti
in custom Louis Vuitton and De Beers jewelry.
David Fisher/Shutterstock
Renate Reinsve
in custom Louis Vuitton and Giuseppe Zanotti shoes.
David Fisher/Shutterstock
Felicity Jones
in Prada.
Frazer Harrison/WireImage
Hudson Williams
in custom Balenciaga and Bvlgari jewelry.
Arturo Holmes/Getty Images
McKenna Grace
in Vera Wang and Smiling Rocks jewelry.
David Fisher/Shutterstock
Shaboozey
in Campillo, Christian Louboutin shoes and Mikimoto jewelry.
Watch the Oscars 2026 Sunday, March 15, at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on ABC and streaming on Hulu.
English (US) ·