Brad Pitt gets real-life F1 test at COTA with McLaren

Brad Pitt has played many roles over his career — detective, soldier, Greek warrior and, most recently, F1 driver – but on Thursday at the Circuit of the Americas, the acclaimed actor enjoyed a real-life spin onboard a real F1 car, thanks to McLaren.

The 61-year-old, who stars as fictional APXGP driver Sonny Hayes in the Hollywood blockbuster F1 The Movie, that is set for global release next week, was given the rare opportunity to manhandle a genuine F1 machine, courtesy of Team Papaya.

Behind the wheel of the team’s 2023 challenger, the MCL60, Pitt took to the Austin track for a full-scale test session that blurred the line between movie magic and motorsport reality.

The car, also driven at COTA by Lando Norris just a day earlier, was set up for Pitt under the supervision of McLaren’s test team. While no official images have been released yet, McLaren teased fans on social media with a pair of papaya-orange overalls stamped with “BP” and a cheeky caption: “It’s a Sonny day in Austin.”

During the production of F1 The Movie, Pitt and co-star Damson Idris clocked an impressive 6,000 miles driving an array of cars, concluding their apprenticeship onboard modified Formula 2 machines, specially prepared and revamped by the Mercedes AMG F1 team to look the part.

With coaching from none other than seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, a co-producer on the film, Pitt honed his skills over two years.

But Thursday’s outing was a step up, putting him in the cockpit of a bona fide F1 machine. Brad Pitt now knows firsthand what it’s like to live the dream of millions — hurtling around a Formula 1 track, papaya overalls and all.

• Read also: Brad Pitt opens up on toughest challenge behind ‘F1 The Movie’

While in town, the Oscar winner also dropped in unannounced at an early screening of the film in Austin, drawing cheers from an audience of stunned fans.

“Melting my heart seeing all the happy faces at the F1 movie screening in Austin! Love like this is what keeps me going! So glad everyone is as stoked as I am about F1 Movie,” the actor posted on X.

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