Lewis Hamilton, key figure in Brad Pitt’s new Formula 1 movie
The upcoming Formula 1 movie starring Brad Pitt could not have been made without the collaboration of Lewis Hamilton, as revealed by director Joseph Kosinski last Friday. The Apple Original film, titled “F1”, will include action scenes filmed during race weekends with the cooperation of Liberty Media. Its international premiere in cinemas and IMAX is scheduled for June 25, and in North America on June 27. Kosinski, after an advance screening at the Canadian Grand Prix, highlighted the importance of Hamilton, who joined Ferrari this season after winning six of his seven titles with Mercedes. The 40-year-old British driver is listed as a co-producer and his production company, Dawn Apollo, also participated in the project. The director of “Top Gun: Maverick” explained that Hamilton was the first person he contacted for the project.“I sent him an email and said, ‘I want to tell the story in your world. I want it to be as authentic as possible. Will you help me?'”, Kosinski commented. “Fortunately, Lewis said yes… In fact, he had already spoken to me before about a role in ‘Top Gun Maverick’. That’s how I met Lewis”.
Joseph Kosinski
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Hamilton, who had to turn down a role in the Tom Cruise film due to his career commitments, acted as an intermediary with Formula 1 and as an advisor on technical precision and authenticity. He was also an advisor to the drivers for Pitt and his co-star Damson Idris. Kosinski recalled: “In Hungary, for example, he said, ‘If Brad is going to let someone through during a blue flag and wants it to be as tight as possible, he’ll only do it at turn six.’ That kind of detail… from a seven-time world champion who lives and breathes this world every day, I couldn’t have gotten it from anywhere else.” Hamilton also contributed to the story and served as inspiration for a scene in which Pitt’s character talks about why he runs in spiritual terms. “His participation has been amazing. We couldn’t make the film without him,” Kosinski added. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer also highlighted Hamilton’s insistence on authenticity, citing an example at Silverstone where the Brit pointed out that a corner was taken in second gear, but the audio was from fourth. “That kind of detail is what has been put into this,” Bruckheimer said. Hamilton has stated that Pitt’s speed is real and that the film will be the most authentic racing film to date. Formula 1 hopes the film will consolidate the appeal of Netflix’s documentary series ‘Drive to Survive’, which has boosted the popularity and growth of Formula 1 worldwide, especially in the key US market. Kosinski commented: “I think there’s a perception that ‘Drive to Survive’ introduced F1 to the United States, but I think there are a lot more people who don’t know anything about it. So there’s still a lot of potential to be tapped.”
