APX GP filming cars on-track, Hungaroring, 2023

Hamilton prepared to “call bulls***” if his F1 film doesn’t look authentic

RaceFans Round-up

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In the round-up: Lewis Hamilton says he is committed to ensuring his forthcoming Formula 1 satisfies both new and old fans alike.

In brief

Hamilton prepared to “call BS” on film

Hamilton, who is a co-producer on the forthcoming film set in the Formula 1 world starting Brad Pitt, said he is prepared to ‘call bullshit’ if it does not look authentic.

“My point was: ‘Guys, this movie needs to be so authentic’,” he told GQ. “There’s two different fan groups that we have. The old originals, who from the day they’re born hearing the ‘Grand Prix’ music every weekend and watching with their families, to the new generation that just learned about it today through Netflix.”

“I felt my job really has been to try to call BS,” he added. “‘This would never happen’, ‘This is how it would be’, ‘This is how it could happen.’ Just giving them advice about what racing is really about and what, as a racing fan, would appeal and what would not.”

Haas fear fast corners at Suzuka

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Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu admitted they are concerned about the performance of the VF-24 chassis through Suzuka’s many fast corners as they head to the circuit after scoring points in the last two rounds.

“”When we saw those high-speed corners in Bahrain, at Jeddah in sector one and in Melbourne, we saw our car is not quite there in the high-speed areas,” said Komatsu. “So sector one in Suzuka is going to be a huge challenge for us.

“How we’re going to manage that lack of high speed, grip and balance needed to perform in qualifying in Suzuka will be important, as it’s not an easy circuit to overtake. That’s going to be a challenge for us, but we’ve got a couple of ideas, so we’ll be looking to do a few experiments on Friday to improve that side.”

However he is increasingly confident in the team’s solutions to its poor performance over a race distance last year. “Regarding race pace, like in Melbourne, I think it will be stronger than our qualifying pace, so thinking about our race strategy we’ll need to look at how we can capitalise on that, having a better race strategy in Suzuka.”

Sauber flat-out on solution to pit stop problems

Zhou Guanyu, Sauber, Albert Park, 2024
Sauber’s pit stops have been poor this year
Sauber team principal Alessandro Alunni Bravi says “work has been going on day and night back at base in Hinwil to resolve our pit stop issues,” which compromised their first three races of the year.

However he has been encouraged by the C44’s potential over a grand prix distance. “We had the performance to be ahead of our direct competitors in Melbourne, as we did in previous races, and that’s what we’ll be building on this week,” he said.

“On top of that, we’re also bringing some updates, the fruit of the hard work of our team back home, which will hopefully allow us to make another step forward and claim our first points of the season.”

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Two teams to test at Suzuka

Sauber and RB will test development tyre compounds and constructions for Pirelli at Suzuka on Tuesday and Wednesday next week.

Ferrari sponsor criticised over lawsuit

Over 100,000 people have signed an open letter to Shell CEO Wael Sawan urging him to abandon the company’s lawsuit against Greenpeace activists who protested over an oil drilling platform last year.

“Despite abundant advertising proclaiming Shell’s alleged green credentials, since beginning your tenure as chief executive you have slashed investment and jobs from your renewables division, abandoned plans to cut production and pledged to continue exploring for new oil and gas – while climate chaos rages around the world,” stated the letter.

Shell’s advertising includes the sponsorship of Ferrari’s F1 team. It has also sponsored F1 races and was targeted by a Greenpeace protest during the 2013 Belgian Grand Prix.

Badoer to FREC

Brando Badoer, the son of former F1 racer Luca Badoer who is being evaluated by McLaren’s young driver programme this year, will race for Van Amersfoort in the Formula Regional European Championship.

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Social media

Notable posts from X (formerly Twitter), TikTok and more:

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Comment of the day

Thanks to everyone who shared their memories of fake driver names from old racing games. In an outrageous display of editorial bias, Durbster wins Comment of the Day for referencing the editor’s most fondly remembered nineties computer format:

I was expecting to see Supercars 2 on the Amiga on the list, featuring such gems as Nigel Mainsail, T. Hairy Bootson and Ayrton Sendup.
Durbster

Happy birthday!

Happy birthday to Majormilou, Nico Savidge, Ripping Silk, Christopher and Nic Morley!

Author information

Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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41 comments on “Hamilton prepared to “call bulls***” if his F1 film doesn’t look authentic”

  1. Jay
    2nd April 2024, 1:50

    Imagine thinking Shell has any ‘green credentials’. Things like ‘carbon neutral by 2050’ are so empty its laughable. The emperor has no clothes and when anybody points it out, its the finger pointer that gets the anger and ire, not these immoral, corrupt companies!

    I’ll be carbon neutral by 2080! (Jay’s ESG score just went up by 10 points, yay!)

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      Lorengzte (@lorengzte)
      2nd April 2024, 1:57

      Give it 10 years or so and all the shell logos on the Ferrari will be repaced by duracell or smt like that.

    2. Nick T.
      2nd April 2024, 4:33

      Yup. Setting big goals that are 26 years in the future is the easiest way to seem like you’re trying to do something good without really having to do anything at all.

      I did PR for Shell. While there was some good stuff they were doing, most of their claims/PR were laughable exaggerations.

    3. colin
      2nd April 2024, 13:57

      Do you have “green credentials?”

    4. AlexS
      2nd April 2024, 17:23

      The “greenpeace” – they are not green nor peaceful – extremists attack and deny rights of others and then want privileges.

      Where i sign a document to support Shell?

      1. An Sionnach
        2nd April 2024, 18:19

        “My way or the highway. Actually, forget the highway.”

      2. PlosslF1
        2nd April 2024, 18:35

        I was all for Greenpeace till they damaged the Nazca Lines…

        1. Osnola
          3rd April 2024, 20:26

          You have a point. But its 9 years ago.

          A spokesman for Greenpeace said: “Without reservation Greenpeace apologises to the people of Peru for the offence caused by our recent activity laying a message of hope at the site of the historic Nazca lines. We are deeply sorry for this.

          “Rather than relay an urgent message of hope and possibility to the leaders gathering at the Lima UN climate talks, we came across as careless and crass.”

  2. Nick T.
    2nd April 2024, 4:28

    I wonder if this film will help Hamilton in achieving his ultimate life goal of being a mainstream superstar in America.

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      SteveR (@stever)
      2nd April 2024, 5:05

      Well, hate to tell ya’ but 99% of the people in ‘Merica have no idea who Hamilton is. F1 in the States is not a big topic. It’s almost impossible to find results in media unless there’s a big crash. I’m an American – trust me (although that may be an odd request). Seriously, F1 has pretty much no following here.

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        Retired (@jeff1s)
        2nd April 2024, 6:11

        Hamilton is a broadway show

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        Lorengzte (@lorengzte)
        2nd April 2024, 6:38

        Looks like Liberty have not done a good enough job of gaining a bigger American audience.
        Failing to live up to the expectations and then they want to manage MotoGP propery aswell.

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          Lorengzte (@lorengzte)
          2nd April 2024, 6:41

          ‘properly’

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        Esploratore (@esploratore1)
        2nd April 2024, 10:29

        Hamilton had a lot of fans in austin and canada as far as I saw at the races!

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          Lorengzte (@lorengzte)
          2nd April 2024, 10:33

          I think they’re a bit exaggerated though, as don’t forget a lot of the crowd come from different countries for the race

      4. Nick T.
        3rd April 2024, 13:05

        Never liked Hamilton’s seeming desperation for super stardom. So, I don’t care about his “q rating.” However, I don’t think your generalization is at all true. I think most people under 70 have heard of Lewis Hamilton even if they couldn’t tell you who he is or what he does. I’d bet at least 35% of the population know Hamilton and race car driver go together. He wants like Madonna status. So, if that you just said “Lewis” everyone would know who you’re talking about. Carl Lewis of course.

    2. Mayrton
      2nd April 2024, 6:55

      Yes, I totally forgot about this movie. Liberty must be so pleased he adds to the circus. I think the story line is going to be hilarious.

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        Bullfrog (@bullfrog)
        2nd April 2024, 9:49

        By the time it gets released, Lewis will be old enough to play Brad Pitt in it.

        1. Csabi
          3rd April 2024, 22:50

          You made my day, LMAO :D

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    Sonny Crockett (@sonnycrockett)
    2nd April 2024, 9:53

    An ‘authentic’ F1 movie. Hmmmmm… so it’s 90 plus minutes of one driver heading off into the distance, with the whole field managing their tyres then?

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      Esploratore (@esploratore1)
      2nd April 2024, 10:30

      Hopefully they have some older season in mind, maybe 2021!

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    MurasamaRA300 (@murasamara300)
    2nd April 2024, 11:15

    Well, good luck to them.
    That reminds me, I should re-watch Steve McQueen’s Le Mans movie.
    It will do just fine.

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    Leroy (@g-funk)
    2nd April 2024, 13:00

    I have a feeling Hamilton is about to get a lesson in how Hollywood really works. There will be “Studio Notes” from people who have no idea what racing is about but who run the studios. They will edit the movie down into something that is marketable to the widest audience possible at the expense of being true to the original story or intent. I hope that is not the case, but Apple has already proven that they are more interested in marketability than in storytelling with the content they produce for Apple TV.

    1. Mayrton
      2nd April 2024, 22:03

      The same approach Liberty has when it comes to the sporting elements in F1. They couldn’t care less.

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    Michael (@freelittlebirds)
    2nd April 2024, 13:05

    I’m not a big fan of the fact that Red Bull, the FIA, and F1 are not addressing the Red Bull employee complaint and we are all continuing as if nothing happened. I read that the complainant is emotionally distraught, lonely, and angry. Red Bull appears to have swept the accusation under the rug and dismissed it when clearly there was something happening between Horner and the person that went beyond work.

    I personally choose not to be a silent accomplice to this injustice so I’ll voice my opinion on this forum.

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      Alianora La Canta (@alianora-la-canta)
      2nd April 2024, 19:27

      @freelittlebirds The BBC had the situation as an item on the 6 o’clock news, so you’ve got powerful company. Let’s hope that at some point, the employee’s grievance gets addressed properly.

    2. Mayrton
      2nd April 2024, 22:08

      It is inconvenient for those who like to stir things up and destabilise RedBull to gain a competitive advantage, indeed.

    3. Mog
      3rd April 2024, 9:21

      I read somewhere that the complainant was found to be unreliable and had other motives in the complaint. Just goes to show how informed you and I both are of the actual facts.
      Probably because there aren’t any publically available. Plenty of speculation with political intent is however.

  7. Moi
    2nd April 2024, 13:10

    How could an F1 movie starring a 60-year-old driver possibly be unrealistic?

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      MurasamaRA300 (@murasamara300)
      2nd April 2024, 13:42

      I looked up “oldest F1 drivers to start a race” and found this:

      The oldest driver to start in a real F1 Grand Prix was Louis Chiron.
      Chiron was 55 years and 292 days when he started the Monaco GP in 1955, where he finished 6th.

      Philippe Etancelin was listed as second oldest.
      Etancelin was 55 years and 191 days when he started the 1952 French Grand Prix, where he finished 8th.

      Mr Pitt will beat both of them by some margin.

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      Hazel Southwell (@hazelsouthwell)
      2nd April 2024, 14:09

      Exactly what I came here to say!

    3. Nick T.
      3rd April 2024, 13:10

      Maybe they’ll use CGI to age him down. I think his character plays a veteran driver mentoring a rookie or something cliche like that.

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    Marcus (@marcusw)
    2nd April 2024, 13:18

    I do wonder what Sauber have done with their hub/wheelnut assembly that has caused these issues for them. It’s not an area where I would have expected there to be too much ‘pushing the limits’. Even if they have come up with something that ‘might’ save them a tenth of a second in a pit stop, then it has already cost them waaaay more than any potential future savings they might have had across the entire season. Seems like they took on a lot of risk for for a potentially very small gain.

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    Maciek (@maciek)
    2nd April 2024, 13:24

    a media company promoting and creating ideas for new fans

    Indeed, where would we all be without media companies creating ideas for us? Well, I don’t know, but I’m sure a media company will fill that imagination gap for me in no time.

  10. Edvaldo
    2nd April 2024, 14:29

    Given how every racing movie has turned out, including the good ones, it will be difficult for him to keep it real.

    I bet there will be endless takes of a foot pressing the gas pedal, and the main character upshifting gears after a drag race with the competitor to finally leave him in the dust, that kind of Hollywood crap.

    Some stuff just doesn’t translate well to movie logic, that’s why they always do these things.

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    Mark Zastrow (@markzastrow)
    2nd April 2024, 18:12

    There is reporting that Hamilton has already had at least some influence for the better. Back in January, US NBC pit reporter Kevin Lee said on his podcast (link here, at around 38:00) that at this year’s Rolex 24, where the film was shooting, he heard Jerry Bruckheimer say on an open radio channel that originally, Brad Pitt’s character was supposed to have been a journeyman rally driver before getting the call-up to the Apex team, but that Lewis Hamilton had the character rewritten:

    [Bruckheimer] was in the booth on the air with the guys and he told the guys on the headset — so I think this is fair game, because it’s over a microphone that anyone with a scanner is listening to — he said the original premise in the script was, the Brad Pitt character was going to be a rally driver, like doing Dakar and the Baja 1000, and go straight from there to Formula 1! And when Lewis Hamilton got involved, he said, ‘No, no, no one is doing rally driving and going straight to Formula 1. We got to put him in sports cars.’ And I think you could probably argue you’d probably put him in the prototype class, but it probably was a little easier to come up with enough cars — because there’s not a lot of prototypes available, but we can find some GT3 cars. So that’s how they did it.

    It certainly would be easier to get some B-roll of a rally car out in the middle of nowhere, so given the lengths that the crew went to in order to shoot at Daytona, around and during the 24, that’s a fairly significant impact on the production, I would say.

    1. MichaelN
      3rd April 2024, 16:41

      Thanks for that. Sounds like a good intervention, indeed! And even if prototypes would be better, a somewhat senior driver is more likely to be in the GT class anway, so no big deal.

  12. JoshJ81
    2nd April 2024, 18:54

    So…putting a 60+ year old man in the F1 machine to compete…makes this movie “So authentic”?

    1. Edvaldo
      3rd April 2024, 14:43

      They can de-age with with makeup and CGI. His actual age is the least of the concerns as he’s probably supposed to be playing a driver around the same age as Alonso, and with some touches, he can look that age no problem. And he’s a good actor. So that’s a non-issue really.

  13. amped
    3rd April 2024, 20:26

    It is a Hollywood movie, and he is F1’s resident prima donna, if this farce of a movie resembles reality in any way I will be surprised.

    Weren’t the production company filming at an American racing series meeting last year? That is how representative this movie is going to be!

    1. Edvaldo
      4th April 2024, 19:08

      Does it matter where you make the footage? ‘Rush’ has very close takes on the cars going around the track and the only way you can be aware of where they’re racing is from voice overs.

      They’re obviously not traveling the world and renting, say, Suzuka, for a couple of days just for some geeks to recognize some corners.

Comments are closed.