Brad Pitt’s ‘F1’ Film Poised to Redefine Racing Realism

Brad Pitt’s F1 film redefines realism, showcasing innovative single-seaters and potential inspiration for real-world racing teams.

The film ‘F1’ will be released this year after two years of filming during Grand Prix weekends. With Lewis Hamilton as a consultant, the film portrays Brad Pitt’s character returning to the cockpit to support his young teammate, played by Damson Idris, who reaches the pinnacle of single-seater racing.

A fictional 11th team, APX GP, has been present in the paddock over the past 18 months, and the film’s lead actor revealed that six single-seaters were built, four of which are engine-powered. An electric-powered car was specifically designed for pit stops, potentially inspiring real Formula 1 teams.

“We’ve got four,” Pitt told Sky Sports F1. “There’s a fifth just for visuals, and a sixth, which is an electric car we’ll use for pit stops.”

“It’s interesting. Teams always push the cars during training. They’ve been talking about adopting an electric car for this type of practice. It’s really cool.”

This approach from the film could benefit teams, eliminating the need for mechanics to physically push cars. Brad Pitt also praised how the actors embodied the roles of drivers in every scenario.

“Joe Kosinski, our director, had a vision: to put actors in the car, immerse us in race weekends, and create the most authentic racing film to date. And I think we’ve done it. I dare say, I think we’ve done it.”

However, the film’s cameras, particularly a large 4K camera mounted on the Halo, presented their own set of challenges: “The 4K Halo camera is really tricky because it blocks the view in the corners. As you approach, you can see here you get a small piece and then another small piece.”

“When you look down, you have about a centimeter to see through. It’s not very sharp. It’s not very clear. Even Lewis looked at it and said, ‘Oh my God!’ We’re driving with about 300 kg more than an F2 car, so it’s a bit bulkier, but I love it.”