Brad Pitt’s Hollywood treatment of Formula One will take the sport’s already surging popularity to another level, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton predicted on Thursday.
The actor’s as-yet untitled movie is being filmed at Silverstone this weekend during the British Grand Prix, with the production having a garage and pitwall stand as a fictional 11th ‘APX GP’ team.
The movie cars are also set to feature on the grid, without driving a formation lap, and be on track in between the sessions.
Formula One hopes to build on the appeal of the Netflix docu-series ‘Drive to Survive’.
“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,”
Hamilton, who has been advising as a co-producer, told reporters.
The Apple TV film is being directed by Joseph Kosinski, the director of “Top Gun: Maverick”, with producer Jerry Bruckheimer.
The oldest current F1 driver is Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso at 41 and Pitt, who plays a driver coming out of retirement to race an up-and-coming rookie, is 59 in real life.
Hamilton suggested that was no big deal.
“Brad looks like he’s ageing backwards. He looks great for his age,”
“He’s super-fit, he’s been training… at the end of the day it’s a movie so there will be a Hollywood element to it that will make it believable.”
Said the Briton.
Pitt will drive a modified F2 car and Hamilton said he had watched the actor get some laps under his belt, recently at Silverstone and before that at a track in Los Angeles, and been impressed.
Source: Reuters
