Here is a wild piece of motorsport trivia: back in 2011, Hollywood heavyweight Tom Cruise actually got behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car. Long before the release of his movie Digger, and years before he hit the red carpet for F1 The Movie, the actor's need for speed translated directly from the silver screen into an 850-horsepower beast.
Red Bull Racing handed the keys to the Golden Globe-winning actor during a break from post-production on one of his Mission Impossible movies, with the test taking place at the Willow Springs International Raceway in Southern California ahead of the inaugural United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of The Americas. Former Red Bull driver and 13-time Grand Prix winner David Coulthard was on hand to offer advice, alongside a 12-person crew from the team who set the car up and got Cruise ready for history. After doing several passenger laps with Coulthard to familiarise themselves with the 4km circuit, Cruise suited up to try the machine for himself.
Despite never driving anything like it before, Cruise was instantly at home. He banked 24 laps, coming into the pits to compare notes and telemetry, which ultimately resulted in him shaving 11 seconds off from his first to his last lap time. There were a few off-track moments along the way, but he managed to keep the car running and bring it back to the pits safely. When he wasn't driving, he was busy taking to the skies with the Red Bull helicopter stunt team to perform loops and daring manoeuvres.
Cruise's motorsport fascination actually goes back much further. During the late 1980s, he gave professional racing a try in sports cars for the Newman/Sharp Racing team, thanks to his The Colour of Money co-star Paul Newman. He quickly gained a reputation for an aggressive driving style and hung up his helmet, but his love for championships across two and four wheels never faded.
That passion has brought him into the F1 paddock on numerous occasions over the years. He was spotted at the 2021 British Grand Prix and that year's Goodwood Festival of Speed, where he chatted with 1978 Formula 1 World Champion and American racing legend Mario Andretti. One of his most notable visits came on the weekend of his 60th birthday at the 2022 British Grand Prix, where he was papped under the podium with Anthony Hamilton and Antonio Perez, fathers of Lewis and Sergio. He was also pictured alongside Sir Jackie Stewart, standing next to Mercedes boss Toto Wolff in the garage mid-session, chatting on Martin Brundle's grid walk, spending time with Lewis Hamilton's brother Nicolas, and posing with Lewis himself after the race.
Cruise was back at an F1 event again when he visited the 2023 Miami Grand Prix, accompanied by Shakira, where he even helped the Mercedes team with some pit stop practice. Later, during the 2025 press tour for F1 The Movie, he was pictured with his former Interview with the Vampire co-star Brad Pitt on the red carpet at the European premiere, alongside director Joseph Kosinski, who has previously worked closely with Cruise on Oblivion and Top Gun: Maverick.
