Credits: IMAGO / Motorsport Images
Formula 1 fans have been excited ever since Lewis Hamilton revealed that he is working on a project to produce a fictional F1 film. The film will be directed by famous American director Joseph Kosinski and written by American screenwriter Ehren Kruger. The crew extensively carried out filming last year before a strike by The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) halted the filming towards the end of the year. With filming now having resumed, here is a look at some frequently asked questions that have been answered by renowned F1 journalist Kym Illman.
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Does Lewis Hamilton’s Brad Pitt starring F1 movie have a title yet?
One of the most frequently asked questions is whether Lewis Hamilton’s Brad Pitt starring F1 movie has a title yet. Kym Illman revealed in his latest YouTube video that the production team is yet to reveal a title for the film. He revealed that as things stand, everyone is simply referring to the film as the untitled Apple F1 movie.
Did Pitt appear at an F1 race before he began filming for the movie?
Although Brad Pitt has revealed that he is a huge fan of F1, fans have rarely spotted him during a race weekend before he began filming for the untitled movie. However, according to Kym Illman, Pitt did make an appearance during the United States Grand Prix weekend in Austin in 2022 when it was confirmed that he would star in the movie.
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Is this the first time that F1 themselves have been a part of a movie?
Another common question that most fans have inquired about is whether F1 has actively taken part in producing a movie previously. Kym Illman revealed that F1 almost did take part in producing a film when Bernie Ecclestone served as the CEO of the sport.
It was back in 2001 when Sylvester Stallone produced a film based on racing called Driven. Although Ecclestone had initially agreed with Stallone that F1 would join hands in producing the film, they ended up backing out after teams were hesitant to reveal any information about how they function.
Why did Lewis Hamilton and co pick Silverstone as their first filming venue?
Kym Illman then also revealed why he believes that Lewis Hamilton and the rest of the production team chose Silverstone as the first track to carry out their filming. He revealed,
“I think because the pitlane is unique. Most other tracks you have garages, a pitlane, and a wall that is maybe two or three meters wide. Silverstone, they have the luxury of many meters and it is grassed. So, they could set up a lot of their camera kit out there on the other side of the pitlane between the track and the pitlane and get a lot of their vision“.
What sponsors does the fictional Apex team have?
F1 teams are famous for their sponsors as the livery of their cars is filled with them. The fictional Apex team also has several sponsors, as revealed by Kym Illman via his YouTube channel.
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Illman revealed that since Lewis Hamilton is an executive producer of the film, many of the sponsors of the fictional Apex team are the brands that the Briton himself endorses. They include IWC watches and Tommy Hilfiger, among others. The other sponsors of the Apex F1 team include the Mercedes team, the FIA, and also EA Sports.
Who are the main rivals in the F1 film?
Since F1 is a form of motorsport, it is all about rivalries. The sport is not only known for its rivalries between drivers and different teams but also between team principals.
The untitled F1 film will also have a rivalry but it will be solely between the drivers of the fictional Apex team. The producers did not showcase any other rivalry as they did not want to cast any of the current teams as ‘villains’.
When is the untitled F1 film expected to release?
Perhaps the most frequently asked question is about when is the untitled F1 film expected to release. According to Kym Illman, the film will at least take another year or two to get released.
How did the SAG AFTRA employee strike impact the filming?
Towards the end of last year, The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) union grabbed all the attention when they announced a strike. As a result of the strike, all the actors who were a part of this union stopped taking part in any of their film productions.
The F1 film had four actors who are a part of this union, according to Kym Illman. Two of them happen to be the film’s protagonists themselves: Brad Pitt and Damson Idris.
However, even though both Pitt and Idris did not take part in the filming of the movie for a while, the production team did not stop the filming completely. Illman revealed that the crew shot without these four actors at circuits like Hungary and Las Vegas with a much smaller team of just 50 or so.
On which tracks will the F1 movie carry out filming in 2024?
Kym Illman then revealed the list of circuits that the production team of the untitled F1 movie will film this year. He said that the production team will have big units in Hungary, SPA, and Silverstone this year. Along with these venues, the veteran journalist revealed that the team will also shoot some shots in Mexico, Las Vegas, and Abu Dhabi.
