Words by Shayni Solanki
Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, and Lewis Hamilton are teaming up to give us an instant classic racing film.
If anyone was wondering why Brad Pitt was dressed like a Formula 1 driver at the British Grand Prix, it’s because of Lewis Hamilton. It’s no secret that Hamilton loves movies – I mean he has his own production company. After passing up on the opportunity to feature in Top Gun: Maverick, Hamilton finally has the chance to work on a big Hollywood project.
Not many people get the opportunity to race in Formula 1, not even those who have been racing for their entire lives. This is Brad Pitt though: he’s built a little differently. A notorious racing fan, Pitt’s turned up to several Formula 1 races over the years, and even owns one of the most impressive motorcycle collections in the world. Considering his interest in film production, we should have seen this venture into F1 coming from a mile away.
So what do we know so farr? The film is directed by Joseph Kosinski, the same guy who directed the critically acclaimed Top Gun: Maverick. The movie stars Brad Pitt as ‘Sonny Hayes’, a legendary racing driver who had a big crash before disappearing from the sport. Meanwhile, Damson Idris plays the rookie driver who teams up with Hayes for his big comeback to motorsport.
Brad Pitt and Damon Idris in a Formula 1 movie helmed by Joseph Kosinski and produced by Lewis Hamilton? It’s bound to be epic. Hamilton told Motorsport that they were “going to make the best racing movie that’s ever existed”. We can see the signs already: the crew set up shop at Silverstone a couple weeks ago to film during the British Grand Prix. Pitt and Idris showed up in full racing gear, strolling the paddock like they really do belong there. They eve made an appearance in the driver line-up for the national anthem. It’s clear that authenticity is key.
Whilst filming in between the actual F1 schedule, the production team still haven’t missed any beats. The fictional racing team ‘APXGP’ has their own garage alongside the rest of the real teams, with a fully decked out pit-wall and crew. Uniforms, gear, equipment and all, they are fully prepared to make the most exciting racing movie we’ve seen in a while. The car itself is an F2 car disguised as a F1 car, brought to life with the help of Mercedes-AMG F1 team. Also with the help of Mercedes, the car livery sports the real sponsors of Mercedes.
Thanks to Netflix’s Drive to Survive series, Formula 1 has become popular again. It’s not just cars ‘driving around in circles’ anymore: we see drama and danger every time we tune in, and that’s what you should expect with this movie. Hopefully, it will cement itself as one of the classics racing films just like Rush did ten years ago. With any luck, the film will be more exciting than the current F1 season!
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