Brad Pitt shares what he found ‘shocking’ during his first experience of driving an F1 car

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The star of Apple’s F1 movie, Brad Pitt, has shared what he found most ‘shocking’ about getting behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car.

The F1 movie was a global success despite early scepticism regarding its high budget, becoming a box-office sensation that marked the highest-grossing film of Hollywood star Brad Pitt’s career.

What made the film such a hit was its use of practical effects. Director Joseph Kosinski opted to film on location at Grand Prix race weekends, which made the film look as realistic as possible at the time of its production.

The film reached a visual immersion that special effects simply couldn’t replicate, and part of the magic was gained through using Pitt and his co-star, Damson Idris, in replica F1 cars that housed a multitude of different camera rigs.

Brad Pitt was stunned by the amount of downforce that Formula 1 cars produce

During a behind-the-scenes clip from the production of F1, Pitt was seen talking to journalist Will Buxton about his first time behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car.

The two-time Academy Award winner was stunned by the amount of downforce that the cars produce, exclaiming to Buxton, “When you first experience downforce, like even in this, it’s shocking!”

To prepare for his role in the feature film, Pitt had to undergo a rigorous training schedule akin to how an actual F1 driver trains in the off-season.

He began racing sports cars before moving over to open-wheel machinery with Formula 3 tests ahead of filming days that took place at Silverstone, Monza and Spa, as well as many others.

It is understood that the American icon clocked in around 6,000 miles on track during the entirety of the Hollywood production.

While he wasn’t present for racing scenes, which were instead crafted through special effects, Pitt had the opportunity to test Lando Norris’ 2023 McLaren MCL60 during a private test at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.

He has reportedly set himself the goal of reaching 200mph in the car, but just missed out on it as he set a top speed of 197mph.

Brad Pitt also revealed the extent of Lewis Hamilton’s knowledge when racing around Silverstone

Seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton was an instrumental part of the feature film’s production.

The current Ferrari star joined the set as a producer and technical advisor, offering his years of experience as a successful driver to help aid the movie’s mission of being as realistic as possible.

In one clip during the BTS video, Kosinski and Pitt revealed how Hamilton had gone as far as making sure the movie portrayed gear changes at Silverstone in the correct manner.

The director began, saying, “Lewis, he’s been in every step of the process from creating the story, writing the script to what gear you should be in going into turn six in Silverstone.”

Pitt then added, “He’ll be like, no, no, no, no, no, that’s turn six. You need to be in fifth gear, that’s fourth, put it in fifth. And he can just, he knows by sound.”

The British Grand Prix has been Hamilton’s most successful circuit through the 19 years that he has spent in the pinnacle of single-seater motorsports.

The Briton has enjoyed the top step of the podium at his home Grand Prix for an F1 record of nine times, with his most recent feat at Silverstone coming during the 2024 season.