F1 goes Hollywood! For the first time since 2016, eleven teams are represented in the pit lane at the British GP of Formula 1 in Silverstone: But a racing team is not really driving, and both the pits and the car from the ominous APX GP team look deceptively real.
Behind it, however, is the new Hollywood film with superstar Brad Pitt, which should soon bring Formula 1 to the big screen.
Formula 1 film: Brad Pitt with driving lessons
The fact that the premier class not only tolerates the complex filming, but is actively involved in the project, is shown not least by the fact that the organizers gave the filmmakers eight timeslots between ten and 25 minutes for their filming on the track on the Grand Prix weekend in Silverstone have made possible.
And that in the already packed schedule, after all, Formula 2, Formula 3 and the Porsche Supercup are also part of the supporting program.
While the exact script remains top secret, it is clear that Pitt will play racer Sonny Hayes and his APX racer will be number 7, while stablemate Joshua Pierce, played by Damson Idris, will be number 9.
For the driving scenes, the production still relies largely on stunt drivers, at least in Silverstone, but Pitt himself is supposed to climb into the cockpit at a later date.
So that he can then handle the car to some extent, the American took extra driving lessons in Le Castellet in southern France, working his way up from a Formula 4 car to Formula 2.
Schumacher: “It looks futuristic”
The team’s crew, which consists largely of actors, is also indistinguishable from a professional racing team with the naked eye and not only moved into their boxes, but even brought a deceptively real replica motorhome with them, which would make many a smaller F1 racing team green with envy.
“It looks futuristic,” praises ex-F1 driver and Sky expert Ralf Schumacher: “Well done and good for Formula 1 that it is sold as it is in reality. The teams are also fully equipped behind the scenes.”
Ferrari, the legendary Formula 1 team, is also impressed: “When you go into their garage, you have the feeling that it’s a real Formula 1 team,” says Scuderia team boss Fred Vasseur, praising the new fake competition .
In terms of paintwork, the black and gold APX bolide is primarily reminiscent of the Rich Energy Haas from 2019: hopefully not a bad omen, as the US team’s partnership with the energy drink manufacturer turned out to be good at the time huge PR flop out.
Brad Pitt causes a stir at Silverstone with his film crew
The Hollywood project from the streaming service Apple+, which at a good 130 million euros actually has a slightly larger budget than the current budget cap of Formula 1 allows the teams per season, also seems to be well received by the drivers.
In any case, some F1 stars are mighty proud of the film.
Alpine pilot Pierre Gasly, for example, posted a selfie of himself with Pitt, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton on Instagram.
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The Mercedes superstar, on the other hand, has been involved in the project for some time and even acts as a co-producer: Last but not least, the sponsors on the APX car also provide information about this, including Hamilton’s house fashion brand Tommy Hilfiger and watch sponsor IWC , as well as a large Mercedes star on the film car.
Hamilton: “This will make everything even bigger”
“I don’t know if that would have been possible ten years ago when the old management was still at work,” said Hamilton, praising the support of Liberty Media’s F1 owners.
There is no doubt that the Americans want to build on the recent hype about the premier class with the film. “So many people around the world want to know more about this sport right now. We’ve already seen the impact from the Netflix show (‘Drive To Survive’; ed.), this is going to make everything even bigger,” Hamilton believes.
His Mercedes team does not only help visually, it was also responsible for the conversion of the film cars, because the two APX cars are expensive converted ones Formel-2.Autos.
So that they still come across as real Formula 1 racers, the F2 Dallaras, which are a good 40 centimeters shorter, were slightly lengthened at the front. The aerodynamics have also been helped by additional structures in the area of the side boxes and air deflectors.
Brad Pitt drove over at Silverstone in this modified F2 racer
There are also significant differences under the hood: Because the use of a V6 turbo engine with the hybrid elements of Formula 1 proved to be too complicated, a normal Megachrome unit from Formula 2 is used.
However, this has one advantage for filming: after all, the engine is louder than the real Formula 1! When it comes to tires, the filmmakers have to use the slightly narrower Formula 2 Pirellis, but optical inconsistencies should be eliminated in post-production at the latest.
The chances of that succeeding are not bad, since none other than director Joseph Kosinski is responsible for the film, who recently landed a mega success at the box office with “Top Gun: Maverick” – and has already proved that in an action film the age of its leading actor does not have to protect him from success.
Top Gun star Tom Cruise is now 61 years old, Brad Pitt is 59 – almost twenty years older than F1 Methusalem Fernando Alonso, who at 41 is currently the oldest driver in the real field.
2023-07-10 20:54:26
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