Overview
- On ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live on Jan. 14, Sheeran gave the song its first televised performance with Grohl on drums, Mayer and Blake Slatkin on guitars, Rami Jaffee on keys, and Pino Palladino on bass.
- The staging paired the all-star band with backing vocalists and F1 film clips on twin screens to underline the track’s arena-rock lean.
- Producer Blake Slatkin says he called Sheeran and Mayer immediately after an F1 screening to craft a song for Brad Pitt’s “riding into the sunset” scene.
- John Mayer landed the foundational rock riff within minutes, while Sheeran wrote the lyrics overnight during a friend’s bachelor party at Butlins in England.
- Grohl’s drum take settled the track’s tempo and feel; released June 20, 2025 as the fifth single from F1 the Album, “Drive” peaked at No. 49 in the UK and was ranked the soundtrack’s best track by Billboard.