Formula 1 drivers have given their first impressions of ‘F1: The Movie’ after being invited to a preview screening ahead of this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix.
The film, which Lewis Hamilton has co-produced, will open next month. It stars Brad Pitt as a veteran racing driver who joins a fictional 11th team, APX, alongside a rookie driver played by Damson Idris.
Hamilton’s team mate Charles Leclerc said the film is “really cool” and clearly intended to attract the widest possible audience.
“Obviously, we are looking at it as Formula 1 drivers and we always try and see all the small details that are not exactly the way we are living things,” he said. “But it’s just very Hollywood-like.
“I think that’s really, really cool because it’s not for F1 drivers at the end, it’s for a broader audience. I thought that it’s absolutely great for the sport to have a movie like that.”
Filmmakers Joseph Kosinski and Jerry Bruckheimer used the same technology to create the film’s in-car shots as they used to produce the successful 2022 film Top Gun: Maverick. Leclerc was particularly impressed by the footage they created.
“The scenes are incredible, I’m super-impressed by how the camera was put onto the cars and the angles that we see from the cars driving. I know that Brad drove the car a little bit as well himself which is very impressive and I’m sure he enjoyed it.
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“So it’s really cool and I think for F1 it’s amazing because obviously we are reaching people that we wouldn’t have reached without this movie as well and there’s cool storytelling as well so that’s nice.”
Pierre Gasly gave a similar description of the film. “It looked great,” said the Alpine driver. “I think, for Formula 1, for the sport, it’s an amazing opportunity to dive into our world.
It’s a Hollywood movie, but personally I’m a big fan of Brad Pitt. He makes us all look very good as a Formula 1 driver.”
Another driver who said the film had a “Hollywood” feel was Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto. “I think it’s a very Hollywood one,” he said, “but it’s nice. It’s going to be very good for those that still don’t know the sport so much.
The production team filmed footage during the previous two seasons so none of this year’s rookie drivers, such as Bortoleto, will feature in it. Another driver who won’t be in the film, Isack Hadjar, said it felt “weird to watch a movie about Formula 1” but is convinced it will prove a success.
“I think it’s going to send the sport into another dimension again. I think it’s going make the sport even bigger, which is nice.
“It’s hard to give feedback as drivers, because we’re really critical. But I think if you’re a kid or someone who doesn’t know about the sport, I think it’s the best way to get started.”
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F1: The Movie trailers
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