Washington [US], June 22 (ANI): Joseph Kosinski, the director of 'F1: The Movie,' has opened up about why actress Simone Ashley's role was removed from the film.

Ashley, widely known for her role in 'Bridgerton', was initially announced as part of the film's cast last year. However, fans noticed she barely appeared in the final version of the movie.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Kosinski, while speaking to People magazine, said, 'It happens on every film, where you have to shoot more than you can use. There were two or three storylines that ultimately didn't make it into the final cut.'

Kosinski went on to praise Ashley's talent, saying, 'But Simone, she's an incredible talent, incredible actress, incredible singer, and I would love to work with her again.'

As per The Hollywood Reporter, Ashley reportedly makes a brief appearance in the film, but without any speaking lines. The movie also stars Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem, Tobias Menzies, and Kim Bodnia.

'F1: The Movie' stars Brad Pitt as Sonny Hayes, a retired Formula One driver who returns to the sport to mentor a younger racer, Joshua Pearce, played by Damson Idris. The movie also features Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem, Tobias Menzies, and Kim Bodnia, along with appearances from real F1 drivers.

Kosinski shared that both Pitt and Idris performed much of their own driving for the film, with Pitt praising the cars' incredible speed and stopping power, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.

Earlier, Kosinski revealed that Pitt and Idris trained extensively to hone their driving skills, with Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time world champion and producer on the film, signing off on their driving abilities.

'Brad and Damson both proved themselves to be incredible drivers,' Kosinski said, as quoted by The Hollywood Reporter.

Meanwhile, the film is set to hit theatres on June 27. (ANI)