Standing in the media pen with his hands on hips, overalls undone to the waist and sunglasses on, Brad Pitt looked like any other Formula One driver as he paused before stepping up to the microphone after qualifying for the British Grand Prix.
But unlike the rest of the grid, his interview would only start on the call of “action!” and be captured by multiple cameras, getting the latest scene for Pitt’s upcoming movie, “F1,” due for release in June 2025. In the regular post-qualifying media rush, as reporters waited to speak to the drivers after their sessions, F1’s paddock doubled as a movie set.
From the very start of on-site filming at Silverstone last year, the paddock has embraced “F1”. Led by the “Top Gun: Maverick” director/producer duo of Joe Kosinski and Jerry Bruckheimer, and with Lewis Hamilton serving as a producer, the ability to film on race weekends and truly immerse in the usual operations of the F1 paddock has been critical to its authenticity.