Red Bull feared being the ‘villain’ in F1 movie, reveals producer

The highly anticipated F1 movie starring Brad Pitt stirred excitement upon its announcement, but also apprehension within the Formula 1 paddock according to co-producer Jerry Bruckheimer.

As the production gained momentum, Mercedes was entrusted with creating the unique cars of the fictitious APXGP F1 team, with the squad modifying and dressing up a pair of F2 machines with current F1 bodywork.

As part of the Brackley team's engineering deal with the film's producers, APXGP's black contenders feature Mercedes and AMG branding as well as the presence of team sponsor IWC.

Initially, the collaboration sparked fears among F1's real world teams, including Red Bull, that they could be cast as “villains” in the film's story line.

Red Bull's concerns weren't entirely unfounded. With Mercedes so prominently involved in the production and their branding featured on the fictional race cars, there was a genuine fear within the team that they might be unfairly depicted as the bad guys, a trope often found in sports dramas.

As Bruckheimer pointed out, the team's initial response to the movie's direction was one of apprehension, and it took time and careful reassurance to dispose of those concerns.

"The interesting part is that, since we teamed up with Mercedes, the other teams said 'wait a second, this movie is going to be about Mercedes and we're going to look bad.' Red Bull said 'we're going to be the villains',” said the legendary Hollywood producer during an appearance this week at Liberty Media's investors day in New York.

“It took us three years to convince them that they weren't going to be the villains and we finally got to a place where all the teams are really leaning into us to really help us.”

• Read also: Hamilton opens up on crafting 'authentic' Brad Pitt F1 film

In the end, Bruckheimer and his team succeeded in assuaging Red Bull's fears, with the team eventually coming around and offering their full support.

It was clear that the film would not cast any one team as a villain, but instead, aim for a more balanced portrayal of the sport's high-stakes, fast-paced nature.

“It took us three years to convince them that they weren't going to be the villains,” Bruckheimer noted. “And we finally got to a place where all the teams are really leaning into us to really help us.”

The relationship between the filmmakers and the F1 teams has been critical to the film's authenticity, and the involvement of actual teams and drivers in the project has allowed it to maintain a real-world connection, with scenes featuring realistic, race-day experiences.

When asked about the simple yet bold title of the film – F1, Bruckheimer explained why it was crucial to keep it simple.

“Because the greatest racing movies were Le Mans and Grand Prix, and now there's going to be F1,” he said.
As a co-producer and special advisor attached to the film, Lewis Hamilton has been deeply involved in the project since its inception.

Bruckheimer praised the seven-time world champion's invaluable contributions, highlighting his unique perspective and deep understanding of the sport, allowing the producers to navigate the delicate balance between crafting an engaging narrative and accurately portraying the complexities of Formula 1.

“He saw part of the movie yesterday, and he gave us a critique of how the drivers actually do various things,” Bruckheimer explained.

“The level of specifics that he gave us, like in Silverstone in Turn 3, you're in second gear, and he could hear with his ear we were in third gear. It's that kind of thing that he's bringing to the movie.

“And also he said, 'You know, Brad, it's a little too easy for him', so we're going to make it a little harder.

“He said when he finishes a race, especially like Singapore where it's very hot, these guys can barely get out of the car, they're so exhausted, lose 10 pounds, and he said that he just has to lay down for five minutes before he can get up and do the press interviews that he has to do.

“And it's not only him, it's all of them. They're just completely exhausted.

“We're going to show what it takes to be an F1 driver. Everything that he has brought to this move, I can't even express our thanks to him and all the folks from F1 who made this all possible,” Bruckheimer added.

“But the authenticity that [Hamilton] brings, and we just can't imagine what goes into what a driver does, what the sport brings to an audience, and he gives it to us.

“Sometimes we don't like to hear some of the things he says, because it costs us more money to fix things, but we're all in.

“We want to make it great, and he's certainly helping us.”

As for the film's premiere, which is scheduled for June 25, 2025, in the UK, the global debut remains up in the air. Bruckheimer teased that the premiere plans are still being finalized.

“I think we're going to show it to the drivers and to the F1 teams in Monaco and then we'll have premieres in New York, London and a bunch of other cities,” he concluded.

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