Formula One will have an official theme song when it returns for the 2018 season.
Though at the moment it is unclear where and how exactly it will be used, the theme has been composed by Brian Tyler, who has composed the scores for films such as Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World, Power Rangers and The Fast & Furious franchise. Aside from this, Tyler also has experience in composing music for sport, having put together the theme for ESPN’s NFL coverage:
The composer, who describes himself as a massive Formula 1 fan, said on Twitter that it was an ‘honour’ to be asked to compose the theme for the pinnacle of motorsport. Tyler also shared an image of a folder, on which one of the tabs says ‘anticipation music’. It seems that music will be more prominent within the TV coverage of the live racing action in Formula One this season, in a similar vein to how it is used in coverage of Formula E.
An F1 spokesperson, who spoke to motorsport.com, said:
“Within the context of looking at ways to bring fans closer to Formula 1, we are exploring all avenues to refresh the look and feel of the show. Music is a key component of the emotion of sport and we are engaging with top international talent in order to develop a new signature tune for F1. This is a process in development and we will make a formal announcement at the right time.”
The theme has been recorded at the famous AIR Studios in London, and features the London Philharmonia Orchestra.
After graduating in 2015 with a First Class honours degree in English Language and Literature, Nicky Haldenby, a lifelong fan of Formula 1, founded the Lights Out F1 Blog in 2016. The blog has become a firm fan-favourite, delving deep into the sport’s history books and lifting the cover on unusual F1 statistics. Nicky also writes at F1Destinations, Motorsport Guides and WTF1. In 2017 and 2018, he wrote for Badger GP. Nicky is also the host of the F1 Rewind Podcast and can be heard as the resident stats man on the 2 Soft Compounds Podcast.