Tate McRae, Ed Sheeran and Doja Cat just got one step closer to the Oscars.
That’s because the team behind F1, the acclaimed summer blockbuster from Warner Bros. and Apple that stars Brad Pitt as an unlikely Formula 1 race car driver, has chosen their songs — “Just Keep Watching,” “Drive” and “Lose My Mind,” respectively — as its submissions for the best original song Oscar race.
With the implementation of “the Menken rule” in June 2008, the Academy’s music branch capped the number of songs that any single film can submit at three (and dictated that no more than two from any single film can ultimately be nominated), which has forced films with killer soundtracks, like F1, to make some tough decisions.
The F1 soundtrack — F1 The Album — certainly offered plenty of options, with seven of its high-octane tracks cracking the top ten of Billboard’s Top Movie Songs chart. But it’s hard to argue with the trio of tunes that are being put forward.
“Just Keep Watching,” which McRae wrote with Tyler Spry and Ryan Tedder, and performs in the film, is a pop anthem that celebrates the glamour and energy of the F1 racing circuit. At the 2025 MTV VMAs, it was awarded “Song of the Summer” and “Best Editing” prizes. And McRae is currently performing it during the encore portion of her “Miss Possessive Tour.” The song, which will soon be certified platinum, has sold in the U.S. over one million single equivalents and accumulated some 500 million global streams.
“Drive,” which Grammy winner Sheeran wrote with Blake Slatkin and John Mayer, and performs in the film, is a rocker that mirrors the intensity and swagger of an old school racer like the one Pitt plays in the film. Mayer contributes to the song on guitar, Pino Palladino on bass and Foo Fighters legend Dave Grohl steps behind the drums, giving the song its classic sound. It has accumulated 92 million global streams.
And “Lose My Mind,” which Doja Cat, as Amala Dlamini, wrote with Tedder, two-time Oscar winner Hans Zimmer, Caleb Toliver and Grant Boutin, and performs in the film alongside Grammy nominee Don Toliver, complements Zimmer’s propulsive, electoronic-infused score, and echoes the racing team’s emotional journey. The song, which is on track to hit gold certification in the coming months, has sold in the U.S. approximately 400,000 single equivalents and accumulated 315 million global streams.
It’s worth noting that many songs featured in prior Jerry Bruckheimer-produced films have been recognized by the Academy’s music branch. Among the past nominees: “Flashdance… What a Feeling” (which won) and “Maniac” from 1983’s Flashdance, “Take My Breath Away” from 1986’s Top Gun, “Shakedown” from 1987’s Beverly Hills Cop II, “How Do I Live” from 1997’s Con Air, “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” from 1998’s Armageddon, “There You’ll Be” from 2001’s Pearl Harbor and “Hold My Hand” from 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick.
