Lewis Hamilton has been impressed with Brad Pitt’s driving since the actor began preparing to star in the Mercedes driver’s F1 movie.
Filming for the upcoming production will take place during the British Grand Prix weekend. Pitt is driving a car which will run separately from the F1 sessions, and the footage used to create action sequences for the film.Pitt is 59, which is considerably older than even the oldest ever driver to participate in a grand prix – 55-year-old Louis Chiron in the 1955 Monaco Grand Prix. But Hamilton says he looks the part and has performed well on-track in their filming sessions ahead of this weekend.
“Brad looks like he’s ageing backwards,” said Hamilton. “He looks great for his age.
Hamilton is confident Pitt’s age won’t undermine the authenticity of the film. “At the end of the day, it’s a movie, so there will be a Hollywood element to it that will make it believable.
“I think Brad, he’s such an iconic actor, he’s always done such an incredible job so I can’t tell you how excited I am to have Brad Pitt in Formula 1, it’s incredible.”
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Pitt has already had several opportunities to drive the modified Formula 2 car which is masquerading as a Formula 1 car for filming purposes. The seven-times champion has been impressed by the actor’s performances at the wheel.
The film is being produced by Apple Films and the crew producing it will have several opportunities to capture footage during grand prix weekends, though not at the same time as track sessions. Hamilton said he’s “really incredibly grateful” to F1 and its owners Liberty Media for allowing the project to go ahead, and suggested it would never have happened when their predecessors CVC Capital Partners, and CEO Bernie Ecclestone, were in charge.
“I don’t know if this would have been possible 10-plus years ago when the old management was in place. They wouldn’t have perhaps seen this as an important step in terms of the sport’s growth.
“But we’ve already seen the great work and impact of the Netflix show and I think this will take it to new heights beyond that. There’s so many people that around the world, as you’ve seen already, they’re so excited about this sport wanting to learn more and the fact that we will have all the original characters that are actually on the grid and then Brad, that’s pretty cool.”
Producers and directors Jerry Bruckheimer and Joe Kosinski have set up a mock F1 garage for their fictional team APX GP at Silverstone this weekend. Hamilton intends to inspect the set-up during the race weekend.
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“I just saw Jerry walking in, I haven’t been to see the garage yet, but I know on the other side I was here a week or two I think it was before Austria watching Brad practice. And it’s massively exciting to see it all coming together and to know that we’re finally starting to film this weekend.
“There’s nerves, naturally, because it’s something we’ve been working on for so long and we want everyone to love it and to really feel that we encapsulate what the essence of this sport is all about. So that’s our goal, I hope we can do you proud.”
Hamilton expected the finished film, which is still untitled, will give a greater impressions of the spectacle of F1 racing than the real thing does on television, due to the way it’s being filmed.
“Our cameras are a lot better than what you’re seeing when you’re watching TV. I’ve seen all the footage of the camera positions, I’ve spent time with Joe trying to make sure we’ve got the best camera positions and the frame rate’s different.
“It’s going to look fast. I think it’s going that faster than it does on TV, because I think it’s something to do with the frame rate that we have to have. But Joe is an incredible director and I think you’ve already saw what he’d done with fighter jets, what he did with [Top Gun] Maverick. You just think about what he’s done with that in terms of the dogfights you saw on those jets, which was pretty epic. And bringing in that technology and that viewpoint into our world, I think is going to be amazing.”
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2023 British Grand Prix
- Norris is “growing” closer to the champion who inspired him to race
- Second supplier part failure ‘a frustrating issue we must solve’ – Alpine
- Albon ‘surprised’ to be quicker than Alonso at end of British GP
- Bottas admits Alfa Romeo ‘were expecting to be better than this’ in 2023
- McLaren now “finding performance quicker” after emulating Red Bull’s design
Dex
6th July 2023, 16:14
Very original concept, that movie. If you want to create a corny movie, which is fine, at least you could make your own movie (whoever is responsible for the scenario and the whole “idea”). Too bad, F1 really offers great stories and equally great possibility to invent stories that could’ve happened. The one with Lauda and Hunt wasn’t so bad at all, and it offered better direction I believe, but in this case Hollywood prevailed. I don’t think I’ll give it a go, but we’ll see, maybe they make a positive surprise.
gregwtravels (@gregwtravels)
6th July 2023, 16:46
The news this past fortnight…
Toto Wolff, manager of Mick Schumacher, says Mick Schumacher is really good.
Lewis Hamilton, producer of film starring Brad Pitt, says Brad Pitt is really good.
Dan Rooke (@geekzilla9000)
6th July 2023, 17:25
Your post will be hijacked by some clickbait facebook group now….. it will mutate into:
“Mick Schumacher and Brad Pitt confirmed as Mercedes 2024 driver line-up”
In a recent interview before the British Grand Prix Lewis told the media “I can’t tell you how excited I am to have Brad Pitt in Formula 1, it’s incredible.”
Lewis also revealed that new the next generation of F1 car will feature military capabilities: …”I think you’ve already saw what he’d done with fighter jets. You just think about what he’s done with that in terms of the dogfights you saw on those jets, which was pretty epic. And bringing in that technology and that viewpoint into our world, I think is going to be amazing.”
Adrian Hancox (@ahxshades)
7th July 2023, 8:03
Comment of the day right here Dan @geekzilla9000
Cranberry
7th July 2023, 8:43
This movie was already made.
Sadly it wasn’t about F1, it was about NASCAR, and it’s name was Days of Thunder.
ECWDanSelby (@ecwdanselby)
6th July 2023, 22:30
Love this
cdfemke (@cdfemke)
6th July 2023, 17:07
Hamilton distracted with this movie and peeps being amazed he isnt performing well.
T
6th July 2023, 20:33
looks like we’ve forgotten his Singapore masterclass huh?
Richard
6th July 2023, 17:35
Sounds like The Strange Story of Benjamin Button
asd
6th July 2023, 17:44
More realistic placements for a 58yo actor to play a driver:
– Paris Dakar Rallye
– Nascar
joshj81
6th July 2023, 17:59
Maybe for 58, but Pitt is 59 and hits all the right cues for an F1 driver
ykiki (@ykiki)
6th July 2023, 18:35
… or any GT3 race with a AM category.
Bullfrog (@bullfrog)
6th July 2023, 18:40
Getting chucked in during the Safety Car to use up his minimum drive time wouldn’t make a great movie (but there have been plenty of worse ones)…
MacLeod (@macleod)
7th July 2023, 7:47
If he plays the part of a returning champion like Micheal he looks the part as he looks like 35-45 years.
I wonder how they are getting film during the race or they use the onboards….
Electroball76
6th July 2023, 18:50
Sonny Hayes sounds more like a boxer.
He should have picked a racing driver name like Scott Speed or Cole Trickle.
Darryn Smith (@darryn)
6th July 2023, 18:57
Dick Trickle is the ultimate in race drivers name. Smoked Camels during the caution periods, but NASCAR was sponsored by Winston back in the 80’s so they had to put his Camels in a Winston packet when he carried the incar camera. True legend of motor sport.
Euro Brun (@eurobrun)
6th July 2023, 19:32
Not Dick Trickle?
I luv chicken
6th July 2023, 20:02
Sounds like a girl I knew in high school. Now, SHE was fast.
MichaelN
6th July 2023, 19:26
Sounds like good fun. Lots of people involved with a whole bunch of fun entertaining films to their names.
And yes, some will say it’s not real. But that’s not the point; for them there’s 23 real Grand Prix to watch.
The shenanigans of a film like Top Gun: Maverick isn’t what the USAF does all day either. Thankfully.
rich
6th July 2023, 19:41
This sounds like it may be the Curious case of Benjamin Button part II.
Raymond Pang
7th July 2023, 8:10
The Curious Case of Jenson Button, perhaps?
SteveP
7th July 2023, 11:50
The wife did a test drive of a Civic back when Jensen was driving a Honda powered F1 with loads of Honda publicity.
Her reference to the start button in the Civic as the “Jenson Button” got the blankest of blank looks.
Sales person had clearly not read any of the company PR or watched the loop video in the showroom.
Crawliin-from-the-wreckage (@davedai)
7th July 2023, 10:11
Hmmmm Benjamin had a son called Roscoe.
Can’t see that getting past the censors.
wsrgo (@wsrgo)
6th July 2023, 19:42
I’m guessing the lead actress is 23, and some 40-year-old woman is playing Brad Pitt’s mum.
XV
6th July 2023, 21:27
Would be more appropriate for the target audience for Pitt to have a solo gay father, and a non-binary child adopted from the African continent.
Effwon (@effwon)
7th July 2023, 11:36
Be careful not to cut yourself on all that edge.
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
6th July 2023, 22:07
I don’t blame them for chosing Brad Pitt… he’s a star after all. But the fact that his character is named Sonny Hayes is a huge red flag. Of course we have to wait until the final product, but that name alone gives me the impressions it’s just going to be another corny Hollywood movie
NewVerstappenFan (@jureo)
6th July 2023, 22:21
He looks Alonso aged.
Some drivers are quite decent at late age.
But yeah most F1 drivers retire around 30.
MacLeod (@macleod)
7th July 2023, 7:39
@jureo retiring at 30 that is only the last 10 years but if you see Vettel and Kimi they were much older. We don’t count those kicked out oeps sorry didn’t get a contract extension……..
Jason (@jasonj)
7th July 2023, 0:23
A lot of talk about frame rates and none about how a geriatric driver fits into an F1 movie. I have a strong feeling this will be like that awful Stallone washed up has been going up against the young Turk drivel from decades ago. I’ll give it a watch once it hits Apple streaming, but I can’t say anything that Brad Pitt has been in, in the last 10 years would inspire confidence in this being anything other than a Days of Thunder type swoosh, swoosh, broom, swoosh ‘go America’ swoosh, broom, broom affair.
What I’d prefer to see is a biopic on Lewis’s journey through Motorsport, his brushes with iconic but flawed legends of the sport, his personal demons and his triumphs. He is a legend of the sport and this movie is about some geriatric pretty boy well past his prime.
Cranberry
7th July 2023, 8:52
Brad Pitt’s acting talent is not being doubted by many, for sure. Movies like Fury, Inglorious Basterds, and Ocean’s series have proven that he is a phenomenal actor.
Pitt’s age, however, is a different story. Brad Pitt should have turned down the role.
I would say that this casting is the biggest red flag of the entire movie, right after it being the brain child of The Prince of Privileged Career and Success opportunities, Sir Lewis “Muh Social Justice” Hamilton.
There is no way this movie will turn out to be anything but woke garbage.
Edvaldo
7th July 2023, 3:27
Some drivers like Denny Hulme looked much older than Pitt at 59.
SadF1fan
7th July 2023, 8:58
Nowadays they can deep fake Brad into looking like his 20 year old self.
There is plenty of data of him to do a good job.
pSynrg (@psynrg)
7th July 2023, 9:50
It’s safe to say, this movie will be embaressingly terrible.
SteveP
8th July 2023, 8:15
Says the embarrassed film critic without seeing any content.
TBH It’s all been done before, so it’s likely to be a yawn, but you never know.
Crawliin-from-the-wreckage (@davedai)
7th July 2023, 10:13
If early pics are any guide ,looks like a 90+ minute Merc commercial.
Mayrton
7th July 2023, 10:21
I am afraid this will only add to the casual Netflix audience circusification of Liberty. It’s a shame how a once great sport is made into cheap entertainment for the masses. Sign of the times.
floodo1 (@floodo1)
7th July 2023, 14:58
I seriously can’t wait for this movie. Bruckheimer is going to make a mockery of F1 and it’s going to gloriously terrible (-8
Dale
8th July 2023, 2:27
So this is basically the same plot as Driven, but with Pitt instead of Stallone, oh and diversity thrown in?.
Rhys Lloyd (@justrhysism)
9th July 2023, 13:38
I’m intrigued and am looking forward to watching it.
Not surprised by the majority of negative comments here though—it is the cool thing to do after all; it would seem.
Y’all don’t have to watch it. Or anything, for that matter.