There’s a fictional 11th team in the Formula 1 paddock as “APXGP” has arrived at the British Grand Prix as part of filming for an upcoming movie.
The as-yet-untitled Apple Studios film is being produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and Chad Oman and directed by Joe Kosinski — who worked with Bruckheimer on Top Gun: Maverick — with Lewis Hamilton serving as a producer to ensure authenticity. Brad Pitt stars in the film alongside Damson Idris, and filming will take place at Silverstone this weekend.
The fictional team has a full garage setup in the middle of the pit lane between Ferrari and Mercedes, as well as a pit wall and hospitality unit in the paddock. Above the garages are the names of drivers Sonny Hayes (played by Pitt) and Joshua Pearce (Idris) in the same form as all of the other teams in the pit lane.
Apple Studios has released on-track imagery of the team’s car, with the black-and-gold livery carrying a number of real-life sponsors. While it looks like a current F1 car, it is a modified F2 chassis adapted with help from both Mercedes and Carlin, and will be driven by professional drivers as well as Pitt and Idris, who have been undergoing extensive training.
Fans at Silverstone will get to see the car on track during specific filming slots, as Kosinski attempts to follow the Top Gun: Maverick approach of producing as much true action footage as possible.
