Lewis Hamilton admits he is nervous to see the new Formula 1 film begin filming at the British Grand Prix but believes it can take the sport to new heights.
The film’s fictional 11th team — APXGP — has a full garage setup and pit wall at Silverstone and will be running real cars on track during the race weekend for the as-yet-untitled production. With Top Gun: Maverick’s Joe Kosinski directing, and Jerry Bruckheimer and Chad Oman producing, Hamilton has also been working as a producer and he says he’s anxious to give the sport authenticity.
Up-close and personal with APXGP 👀#F1 pic.twitter.com/o5AvJHykoM
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 6, 2023
“I just saw Jerry walking in and I have’t been to see the garage yet but on the other side, I was here a week or two before Austria watching Brad [Pitt] practice and it’s massively exciting to see it all coming together,” Hamilton said.
“To know that we’re finally starting to film this weekend, there’s nerves naturally because it’s something we’ve been working on for so long and we want everyone to love it and to really feel that we encapsulate what the essence of this sport is all about. So that’s our goal and hopefully we can do you proud.”
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With F1’s owners opening the paddock up for filming during events, Hamilton says the buy-in from the sport has been a key aspect of giving the movie the best chance of being successful.
“I’ve been incredibly grateful to them for that, I don’t know if this would have been possible 10-plus years ago when the old management was in place. They perhaps wouldn’t have seen this as an important step in terms of the sport’s growth, but we’ve already seen the great work and impact of the Netflix show [Drive To Survive]and I think this will take it to new heights beyond that.
“There’s so many people around the world that are so excited about this sport and wanting to know more, and the fact that we will have all of the original characters that are already on the grid, and Brad (Pitt), is pretty cool.”
The topic of Pitt’s age has been a talking point, with the 59-year-old playing driver Sonny Hayes, but Hamilton says it will still make for a believable storyline.
“Well firstly, Brad looks like he’s aging backwards — he looks great for his age. Of course that was a big topic at the beginning when we were discussing the first story. But he’s super fit, he’s been training, and at the end of the day it’s a movie so there will be a Hollywood element to it that will make it believable. Brad’s such an iconic actor — he’s always done such an incredible job, so I can’t tell you how excited I am to have Brad Pitt in a Formula 1 movie, it’s incredible. So I think he’s going to do a great job.
“We did do a day together at a track in LA, and for someone who hasn’t raced he’s definitely got a keen eye. He loves watching MotoGP so he’s always been a racing enthusiast. He already had a knack for the lines and he was fully on it, which was good to see.”