Hamilton opens up on crafting ‘authentic’ Brad Pitt F1 film

Lewis Hamilton has offered some insight into his role as a co-producer of the upcoming Hollywood blockbuster ‘F1’ and his pivotal task as the gatekeeper of the film’s authenticity.

The movie, set to be released in June 2025, features Brad Pitt as a veteran racing driver making a comeback in Formula 1 to help guide the efforts of his young teammate.

From the outset, Hamilton has been deeply involved in the project, from script development to casting and production.

However, bringing the complexities of F1 to the big screen was no small task, and the seven-time world champion’s involvement was key to keeping the film true to the sport he knows so well.

In an interview with American men’s magazine Esquire, Hamilton candidly admitted to having to “call bullshit” whenever the work’s fiction strayed a bit too far from reality.

“It would just be racing scenarios. Technical jargon engineers would talk,” he explained.

“But particularly racing scenarios and sequences, between overtakes and pit stops and strategies and all those sorts of things.

“There may have been a crash that was like the car hits the wall and flips and lands on the wheels and keeps going, and that doesn’t happen in Formula 1.”

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To get the story right, Hamilton worked closely with screenwriter Ehren Kruger, who had immersed himself in the world of F1 through extensive research, attending races, and watching countless hours of footage.

“Ehren basically did a ton of research, watched a lot of races, came to a bunch of races, and then went away and wrote up a script,” he recounted.

“But we would sit and talk about what racing is about. Then once he wrote the script, I would sit with him and call bullshit, basically, on the things that don’t seem real and are not what F1 is about and try to make sure that it’s as authentic as possible.”

Hamilton’s influence extended beyond the script, as he was actively involved in various aspects of the film’s production.

He worked to ensure diversity within the cast and crew, advocating for the inclusion of a woman in the pit crew—something that, as he noted, has never happened in reality at an F1 track.

“Then at the same time, I started a production company, so I’m a producer with these guys,” he added.

“I’ve been able to be involved in all areas or so making sure the cast is diverse, making sure we’ve got a woman in a pit stop, which we never, ever had at the actual track.

“Hans Zimmer was someone I wanted to have doing the [music for the] movie, so we have Hans Zimmer. Joe [Kosinski, director] has been amazing at including me in everything.”

As for Brad Pitt’s portrayal of a racing driver, Hamilton personally ensured that the Hollywood star was up to the task. He took the actor to a track in Los Angeles to assess his driving skills, drawing on his own experience as a driving coach.

“We went to a track in LA,” he said. “I took him out and sat in the passenger seat, and he drove.

“I used to be a driving coach when I was younger. It was a way of making some money part time whilst I was racing.

“So I’ve sat with God knows how many non-racing drivers. You can tell immediately the good ones, the bad ones.

“Straight away he was on it. You could tell he has it. He has it in his DNA. He’s just not been able to hone in on it like we have. But he’s got big potential.”

While Hamilton is confident in Pitt’s ability to deliver an authentic performance, he acknowledges the inherent challenges of the story—particularly the idea of a fifty-something-year-old driver competing against much younger rivals.

“Ultimately, the story of a fifty-odd-year-old jumping into the season and fighting against us youngsters - it’s just not the done thing,” he admitted.

“But then there’s discussing: How would you go about doing that? How much training would you have to do in order to really be able to come back and fight and react in the same way?

“Yeah, there’s a lot of detail that went into it.”

With Hamilton's dedication to preserving the essence of Formula 1, fans can expect an immersive and thrilling cinematic experience when the film is released next year.

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