Fans tuning into the first track action of 2018 on Friday were greeted not just by new cars, but by a brand-new opening title sequence...
Central to the sequence is Formula 1’s very first ‘Official F1 Theme’, composed by renowned Hollywood composer [and F1 fan] Brian Tyler and recorded with The Philharmonia Orchestra of London at Air Studios in London.
Speaking about the theme song, Tyler, who has soundtracked films including Iron Man 3, Avengers: Age of Ultron and Thor: The Dark World, said: “When I started writing the music for the Formula 1 theme I thought there needed to be some character of the cars.
“Musically, these engines make a beautiful noise when they fly by you. I went out to a race and just being there in person, and having them go down the straight there’s that kind of Doppler Effect as they go by [the change in frequency of sound as the cars scream past].
“That was amazing, so we turned the Formula 1 engines into a choir, literally using the engines, making part of the music with the cars. It’s not a sound effect; it’s notes within the music. I wrote around these fantastic car sounds, howling Formula 1 engines with brass and strings and drums and all sorts of different instruments.
“The full power of the orchestra going alongside the Formula 1 engines, it’s like they become part of the music.”
The new title sequence, which features all the stars of the 2018 grid, will open the live international feed before each Grand Prix.