Fans at this summer's British Grand Prix will enjoy some Hollywood entertainment in between sessions courtesy of superstar Brad Pitt.
Pitt will take to the track at Silverstone onboard a mock F1 car, specially prepared by Mercedes, to film sequences for an upcoming epic starring the 59-year-old American and produced by legendary Hollywood blockbuster producer Jerry Bruckheimer.
Directed by 'Top Gun: Maverick' director Joseph Kosinski and backed by Apple Original Films, the film will also benefit from the involvement of Lewis Hamilton as a special advisor who will ensure that the story line and script are accurate and as authentic as possible relative to the real world of F1.
"For me, it's to make sure that it's authentic and that all of you and racing fans see its authenticity and say this is believable," Hamilton commented in Miami this week.
"We also want to have a view of racing from a different perspective than you might see on TV and generally just a really cool sport.
"So, I'm spending a lot of time right now helping Joe and the team get the script right, and that's an amazing process. I'm really enjoying it."
Actor Brad Pitt with Apple CEO Tm Cook and Lewis Hamilton at last year's US GP.
As he gears up for his role, Pitt has reportedly already undertaken sim sessions, while the car that he will drive, which is apparently powered by an F2 or F3 engine, is already testing.
On social media, F1 commentator Will Buxton made the ludicrous claim that Pitt would be sharing the track with F1's drivers during a free practice session, running onboard a car entered by "an 11th team".
This was dismissed in short order however.
To capture the onboard thrills, the Mercedes-designed single-seater will be fitted with one of the smallest 6K cameras in the world.
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The film's production crews are expected to be on site, with Pitt, at several other F1 venues in the coming months.
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali says there will be a degree of control by F1 over the crews' access, but the Italian has already warned that filming will be "quite invasive".
"It's something that we need to control in a way, but it will be another way of showing that F1 never stops," commented Domenicali recently.
Actor Brad Pitt and director Jo Kosinski behind the scenes at the 2022 US GP.
On Thursday in Miami, Charles Leclerc was asked if having Brad Pitt and filming crews in the paddock would prove a distraction.
"No, I don’t think it is," said the Ferrari driver. "In the end, one more camera or one less camera, I don’t think we realise it that much.
"I think it’s amazing for the sport, though, I think it’s great.
"It gives us a really big visibility, big reach to people that might not know or might not be interested so much into Formula 1 just for them to understand it in a better way, in a more lucrative way and with the movie I think is the best possible way.
"So no or at least for me, it won’t add any pressure, but I don’t think for anybody, as we are getting used to having cameras around."
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