Damson Idris Flaunts His Pecs In Sexy Biker Fit For ‘GQ’ Cover

British heartthrob Damson Idris graced the cover of GQ on Wednesday, May 28, for the magazine’s “Blockbuster Summer Issue” to chat about his forthcoming racer film, F1. The 33-year-old Hollywood heartthrob—who stars opposite Brad Pitt in the high-octane film—gave fans a glimpse of the flick’s sleek style ahead of its June 27 theater release and opened up about the thrill of actually racing on set.

For the cover, Idris melted the hearts of fans in a bold hot pink racing suit designed by Prada, unzipped to reveal his chiseled pecs. Another photo from the slideshow showcased the Snowfall star in a leather jacket and matching pants, nailing an edgy biker-inspired look.

The actor’s looks were fire, but his on-screen stunts turned up the heat even more. In F1, Idris plays rookie driver Joshua Pearce, who teams up with seasoned racing legend Sonny Hayes, portrayed by Pitt. Speaking with GQ’s Jack King, Idris recalled having to “put on his best poker face” when the film’s director, Joseph Kosinski, revealed that the actors would be doing real-life racing—similar to how he had the cast of Top Gun: Maverick fly in actual jets for the film’s aerial scenes.

“The only question I asked Joe the first time we read [the script] was, ‘I saw Top Gun. These guys were flying the planes for real. What’s going on with this film? CGI? Green screen?’” Idris recalled of his conversation with Kosinski. “He was like, ‘No, you and Brad are gonna be driving for real,’” Idris revealed. “I had to put on my best poker face.”

Still, Idris fully committed to the role, pushing himself to embody Pearce both on and off-screen. He told King that he trained at Austin’s Circuit of the Americas—a real Formula One track—reaching speeds of up to 180 miles per hour. At that velocity, he could feel everything: the force, the adrenaline, the sheer intensity. “My helmet was rattling,” he recalled.

One particularly terrifying moment came when his car spun out so violently, that it skipped three entire turns on the track.

“You know it’s an insane spin when you’re listing three turns,” he said. “I was like, this close to hitting the wall.”

Thankfully, he “landed straight” and lived to tell the tale. “I was like, ‘Wooooo!’” he recalled to King. “I jumped out, and everyone was like, ‘Now you’re a race car driver.’”

Idris boasted that his driving skills became so advanced throughout filming that he was eventually able to out-speed his co-star, Pitt. 

“When we were in Austin, training, it’s the first time I timed him and I timed me, and I’m definitely faster than Brad with no restrictions on. You tell him that!” the actor proudly proclaimed.

Read Idris’ full GQ interview here.

Will you be watching F1 when it hits theaters?

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