Seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton helped shape the upcoming Formula 1 film with insider realism, says director Joe Kosinski.
Joe Kosinski, director of the upcoming film F1 set to release at the end of the month, revealed how invaluable Lewis Hamilton was as an advisor in shaping the blockbuster into a blend of Hollywood storytelling and realistic portrayal.
“I emailed him and simply said, ‘I want to tell the story of your world. I want to make it as authentic as possible. Will you help me?’” Kosinski recounts. “And luckily, Lewis said yes… he had already spoken to me about a role in Top Gun: Maverick. That’s how I met Lewis.”
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer explained that Hamilton provided a wealth of advice, such as correcting a scene where a corner taken in second gear sounded like it was done in fourth.
Kosinski also described Hamilton’s support with the actors: “In Hungary, for example, he said, ‘If Brad lets someone pass under a blue flag and wants it to be as tight as possible, he would only do it in turn six.’”
“These kinds of details… coming from a seven-time world champion who lives and breathes this world every day, I couldn’t have gotten that from anyone else. His involvement was extraordinary. We couldn’t have made the film without him. These are the kinds of details we put into the movie.”
Finally, Kosinski believes the film has the potential to bring as many fans to F1 as the Netflix series did: “I think there’s a sense that Drive to Survive introduced F1 to Americans, but I believe there are still so many people who know nothing about it. So, there’s still a lot of potential.”