Filming for the upcoming Formula 1 movie starring Brad Pitt hits the track this weekend at the British Grand Prix. The actor himself is expected to lap Silverstone in a modified Formula 2 car that’s being operated out of a live F1 pit lane alongside the real teams themselves.
“Apex,” as the film is called according to Sky Sports, will follow fictional F1 veteran Sonny Hayes as he drives for backmarker team APXGP as reported by Motorsport. Pitt will co-star alongside his teammate Damson Idris of “Black Mirror” fame, with the film being directed by Joseph Kosinski and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer—the same duo behind “Top Gun: Maverick.” Seven-time F1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton is participating as a creative consultant to keep the film believable for racing audiences, who are often disappointed by poorly directed and produced racing films.
Shooting at several F1 races will reportedly take place over the remainder of the 2023 season and possibly beyond, with the first venue being the British Grand Prix this weekend. The fictional APXGP team has reportedly been set up with a garage and pit wall between Ferrari and Mercedes, to give the impression that it’s directly competing with them.
The movie won’t be filmed on a live track with real F1 cars though, as the team’s car is reportedly a modified F2 chassis with an extended wheelbase, F1-derived aero, and an additional 15 camera mounts. Pitt is expected to drive the car over seven or eight on-track sessions over the race weekend, with other F1 cars being added using CGI in post-production.
As far as Lewis Hamilton’s participation goes, he said “For me, it’s to make sure that it’s authentic and that all of you and racing fans see its authenticity and say this is believable.” He went on to say that “We also want to have a view of racing from a different perspective than you might see on TV and generally just a really cool sport.”
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