Brad Pitt has revealed the one Formula 1 circuit that delivered the most electrifying moment of his filming experience for F1 The Movie.
Speaking on Formula 1’s Beyond The Grid podcast, the Oscar-winning actor reflected on the surreal, high-adrenaline journey of shooting at real Grands Prix across the calendar.
While Pitt praised several venues for their unique atmosphere and personal memories, there was one track in particular that left a lasting impact on ‘Sonny Hayes’ – both visually and emotionally.
A Deep Appreciation for the Sport
“I have a real love for Silverstone because we got our footing there and we got to live there for a couple of months – how spoiled are we?” Pitt said. “And then I have a real soft spot for Abu Dhabi because we spent another couple of months there and we finished up the film there.
“But the high of highs? Spa. Oh my god!” he exclaimed.
“4.3 miles, 100-metre elevation change through the woods and the back. The Pouhon corner, it's double [apex]. It's off-camber and you're coming downhill into it. It's such a smooth, graceful feeling.”
The true moment of awe, though, came when Pitt stood at the foot of the legendary Eau Rouge section and witnessed Formula 1 cars flying by at full throttle just feet from where he stood.
“Tim Bampton from F1 took us down to the base of Eau Rouge, and he said, ‘Turn your backs, just look up the hill and wait’. And the cars come right by the wall.
“Fernando [Alonso] went by, and it literally sucks the air out of your lungs. It is unbelievable. It is unbelievable.”
Filming From Inside the Race Weekend
Pitt, who plays veteran driver Sonny Hayes in the film, worked alongside Damson Idris (rookie Joshua Pearce) to capture the on-track authenticity. The duo trained in modified Formula 2 cars and filmed scenes embedded directly into the race weekend, including the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
“It’s nutty, but it brings an energy to the film itself,” Pitt said. “It's like a race to make sure we get these scenes. We're going to shoot it on the grid. We've embedded ourself in the race weekend. We have to prove ourselves. We will not cock up the programme and slow down the race, and we won't be in anyone's way!
“Damson and I do the national anthem. We turn around, we find ourselves walking with Carlos [Sainz], which was cool – these little accidents that happen. And then we get to the back of the grid and we get two takes for this scene with Tobias [Menzies] and Javier [Bardem].”
And while Pitt was no stranger to performance behind the wheel during filming, he remains humble about what he witnessed from F1’s elite.
“That was that same weekend we were driving,” he said of Spa. “I'd been out but I'm not doing what Fernando was doing! When I first saw him flat-out around Copse at Silverstone – it is staggering, it’s breathtaking.”
A Film Fueled by Real Racing Emotion
Pitt recalled the very first scene shot for the film: a solo run in front of a live crowd at Silverstone.
“The day before, the very first thing we put on film was going out, taking the cars out on our own in front of 100,000 fans on Quali day, and that got my attention,” he recalled.
The project, long anticipated by F1 fans and filmgoers alike, blends the spectacle of Hollywood with the raw energy of real-world racing.
But for Pitt, there was one stretch of track, nestled deep in the Belgian forest, that offered a rare, pure moment of racing transcendence.
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