Ed Sheeran has dropped a new rock anthem, “Drive” , in the soundtrack for the upcoming Brad Pitt Formula One racing film F1 The Movie. The track premiered on June 20, 2025, and it includes John Mayer on guitar, Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl on drums and bassist Pino Palladino, with extra production by Blake Slatkin. Fans can grab the full F1: The Album starting June 27, lining up perfectly with the movie’s North American theater release.
Ed Sheeran described “Drive” as a solid rock tune you should play loud when you’re racing or taking a relaxed ride.
“I knew that I wanted to make a proper rock song for [the movie], a proper driving song. Something you’d wanna turn up to the fullest amount whilst driving,” he shared in an Instagram post. He added that working with Mayer, Grohl, and Palladino felt like building the ultimate rock dream team, and he thought their music matched the film’s speedy scenes spot on.
Behind the Music and Collaboration
The team worked on “Drive” at a quick pace, and everything just flowed. Sheeran remembered how the song just poured out of them after he watched some F1 clips. Mayer’s guitar work, made stronger with an octave pedal, laid the main riff that sticks in your head. Blake Slatkin added extra keyboard parts and worked on the drum programming, while Rami Jaffee gave the song rich keyboard textures, pulling the whole layered sound together.
Grohl and Palladino were the final jigsaw pieces of the song, and their playing added the rock punch Sheeran wanted for the whole thing. The result is a powerful song that brings together Sheeran’s smooth tunes and the fierce vibe of classic rock, turning it into a star track on F1: The Album.
Thematic Connection to F1 and Film
The “Drive” music video leans into the racing motif with Sheeran singing on a racetrack while Formula One cars speed by, then in the last scenes he jumps behind the wheel of a supercharged dune buggy and drives through the desert onto a beach to echo the film’s adrenaline-loaded storyline. Sheeran has openly said he has a huge love for movies and thinks of it as his main pastime besides his music.
“Movies and art are the only hobbies outside of music I really have, and I love my time at [F1 events] whenever I get to go play there. So, this was like a match made in heaven,” he wrote. He talked about how happy it makes him to write music for movies, something he first did with “I See Fire” for The Hobbit.
The Broader Soundtrack and Production
F1:The Album is produced and overseen by Atlantic Records’ West Coast president Kevin Weaver, who also brought together the soundtracks for Barbie The Album, Twisters The Album, The Greatest Showman, and more. The album brings together all kinds of artists, like Don Toliver with Doja Cat, Rosé, Chris Stapleton, Roddy Ricch, Tate McRae, Burna Boy, RAYE, and more.
Working with Atlantic’s Brandon Davis and Joseph Khoury, Weaver chose 17 tracks that mix pop, rock, hip-hop, and electronic styles, proving Formula One’s global reach. At the 2025 Miami Grand Prix, the soundtrack was shown off with a cool experience that brought the garage of the film’s fake racing team, APXGP, to life.
Sheeran’s Creative Journey and Upcoming Projects
As he celebrates the release of “Drive” he is also enjoying the success of his recent collaboration with Indian singer Arijit Singh on the song “Sapphire,” which he said was a turning point for his upcoming studio album Play. “Sapphire was the first song I finished for Play that made me know where the album was heading,” Sheeran wrote.
He worked on parts of the album while in Goa, India, and shared how excited he is for the Punjabi version of “Sapphire,” coming soon. Looking ahead, music lovers can expect Sheeran’s Play album on September 12, 2025. Right now, F1: The Album and its main song “Drive” are ready to top streaming charts while fans get excited for the movie’s big release.
Quotes and Reactions
Fans and experts say “Drive” is packed with energy and feels genuine. The track’s lyrics—“Flying through the city with the speakers up loud / Speedin’ by with the top down / Fast lane livin’ til they put me in the ground and I don’t wanna stop now”—capture the exhilaration of racing and the spirit of the F1 film.
Sheeran’s excitement for this project shows clearly: “I’m so honored to work with such great musicians on it, and hope you guys love the end result.” People in the music business say this team-up is a big deal. “The mix of Sheeran’s songs, Mayer’s guitar, and Grohl’s drums makes a sound that feels new but still timeless,” said someone from Billboard. Kevin Weaver looked back at how they made the album and said, “We wanted to create a soundtrack that matches the intensity and diversity of Formula One racing, and I think we’ve achieved that with this lineup.”
Wrapping
Ed Sheeran’s “Drive” is not just another song; it’s a lively team-up that mixes music with motorsport, pulling in some of the biggest stars in rock and pop. With this new release, Sheeran shows he’s always growing as an artist, proving that his love for music and movies gives fans amazing moments everywhere. This summer, The F1: The Album is expected to be a big deal, paving the way for the film and Sheeran’s new solo music.
