Brad Pitt is starring in the new Formula 1 movie, which has yet to be named. The film crew shot important scenes in Silverstone, which is why a fictional eleventh team called Apex got their own garage and even a command post. As a producer, Lewis Hamilton is one of the filmmakers and should provide the necessary realism. At the British Grand Prix, some cars were fitted with additional cameras to capture the action.
Mercedes helped modify the Formula 2 car with AMG logos to look like a current Formula 1 car. The car was even on the official starting grid and was allowed to take part in the formation lap. After that, however, the film car turned into the pit lane. The car was driven by ex-SuperLeague driver Craig Dolby and Formula 2 champion Luciano Bacheta, both of whom have worked on a number of films since retiring from motorsport.
Pitt and Damson Idris, who play the lead roles, will drive the cars for a number of scenes over the coming months. For this, the film crew travels to the Circuit Paul Ricard in Le Castellet and again to Silverstone. But what role does Mercedes play? Team boss Toto Wolff: “We were involved from the start and when we had the first talks, we sent Brad to a driving school in France, where he worked his way through the classes from the Formula 4 car.”
Mercedes have offered a lot of support
According to Wolff, Mercedes also influenced the way the story was told: “Lewis is the producer and he wanted to make sure the film was as realistic as possible. We had a few laughs, but I think it’s a very good story. They put a lot of work into it and we helped them. I think it was Fred Vasseur’s idea to take a Formula 2 car and rebuild it to look like a Formula 1 car.”
Mercedes also worked on the design of the garage and the pit wall to make it look as realistic as possible. “We spoke to the director a few weeks ago and asked him where he was right now. I was expecting him to say Hollywood but he was at his flat in Brackley. So it’s not all gold when you’re a film director. “
“When you were in the garage and saw what was being built there, it was unbelievable,” enthuses Wolff about the film crew’s commitment. He has support from Vasseur, who is convinced that the film will do the sport very well. “What has been done with the car is great,” says the Ferrari team boss. “I’m not an expert, but if you look into the garage, it looks like a real Formula 1 team – maybe even better than some real teams.”
Does the film cause a Formula 1 boom?
Vasseur hopes the film will be a success, as he expects a “huge boost for Formula 1” if the story is well received by audiences. Hamilton is proud to be part of the production team: “I was in Austria a few weeks ago to watch Brad train. It’s great to see how everything is coming together. We finally started shooting the film and it was very nerve wracking because we’ve been working on this for so long.”
According to Hamilton, the film is about conveying the essence of the sport, which is why it wants it to be as realistic as possible. There is also support from Formula 1, as the seven-time world champion explains: “I’m very grateful to them, because I don’t know if that would have been possible more than ten years ago when the old management was still in charge. Maybe they would have didn’t see it as a great opportunity to further develop the sport.”
Hamilton believes that, similar to the Nextflix show Drive to Survive, the film will have a major impact on the sport and that many new fans will join the premier class after seeing the film. “We have all the real characters on the starting lineup and then there’s Brad, which is really cool. Pitt’s age, who turns 60 in December, isn’t a problem for telling the story,” Hamilton said.
“Brad seems to be getting younger, not older,” says Hamilton. “He’s good looking for his age and of course we discussed that at the beginning of the planning process. He’s in top form and he’s training regularly. At the end of the day it’s a movie so there has to be a bit of Hollywood in it to make it believable . Brad is such a legendary actor and has always done a great job. I love to see Brad Pitt in a Formula 1 film. It’s amazing.”