‘There’s been a lot of learning’ – Hamilton opens up on being a producer for the ‘F1’ movie and working with Brad Pitt

Anticipation is building ahead of the release of F1 The Movie – on June 25 internationally and June 27 in North America – and one person who is especially excited for fans to see the film is Lewis Hamilton.

After acting as a producer on the motion picture, the seven-time World Champion has been opening up on the “incredible learning process” involved, his experiences of working with Brad Pitt, and why he believes it will be the “most authentic racing movie that’s ever been made”…

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Tell me about stepping into your role as a producer on F1 The Movie and what it means to bring Formula 1 racing to the big screen in a way that’s never been seen before?

Coming on board to this project as a producer has been such an incredible learning process for me, seeing what goes into making a feature film, and there’s been a lot of learning on the other side too as everyone has got to grips with Formula 1.

I’ve always loved film and telling stories, and I’ve loved this sport since I was five years old, so when I got the opportunity to speak with Joe Kosinski and Jerry Bruckheimer about the project, it felt like the two worlds I’m passionate about coming together.

I remember in the early days of the project I got to meet with Brad and go through the script, join meetings with the teams at Apple and Formula 1, and be part of some of the early casting processes. From those first conversations, to watching it all come together, it’s just been a super cool experience and I can’t wait for everyone to see it!

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Why will this be the most authentic racing film of all time?

The access we’ve had to Formula 1 is totally unheard of, we actually filmed on race weekends with the film’s 11th team – APXGP, and you’ll definitely see that authenticity come through in the film.

The footage filmed throughout the racing calendar will be blended into the movie and augmented with digital techniques to insert the movie’s team cars in the actual race footage, so it will seem really realistic for fans of the sport.

But they’ve really welcomed my insights into the smaller details too, like the sounds a car would make when it’s at a certain position on the track, or the way a crash might happen. It’s what Joe [Kosinski, director] and Jerry [Bruckheimer, producer] wanted from the start, to make the most authentic racing movie that’s ever been made.

You mention filmmakers Joe Kosinski and Jerry Bruckheimer, who together reached new cinematic heights with Top Gun: Maverick. How will F1 The Movie build on that track record?

I grew up seeing Jerry’s name come up on screens at the cinema and he’s such a legend, so to finally be in a room and working with him was such an honor.

He’s still so enthusiastic, even with all the accolades and all the success he’s had, he’s just so passionate about what he does and that’s been so inspiring to see. And I was really, really impressed by Joe and how he works, his laser focus, his ideas, his eye for how to capture things.

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As a producer on the film, what innovations did you witness that would make this film unlike any other racing film in history?

Developing technology. Camera placement. Some of what they used with the fighter jets on Top Gun: Maverick, Joe brought part of that technology to this, and his team and our cinematographer Claudio Miranda, working with Apple, took it to another level.

They developed this camera system and it’s so different, so much more advanced than what you’re watching when you watch a race during the weekend. The footage is much more raw, so when you’re watching the film you really feel like you’re in the car and going at super high speeds.

Tell me about working with Brad Pitt – he’s a fellow producer as well as starring in the movie.

I never thought I would get to work with Brad Pitt. I’m a huge fan of his films, and I think the first time I met him was in Jerry’s office over Zoom, which was crazy enough, but then we got to go to a track and I learned how much he’s into motorsport, particularly bikes, and saw the natural ability he had behind the wheel. It was really cool.

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I remember us both standing at Silverstone circuit, at Copse, and I was showing him the things that I look for when I’m going into that corner, and we were talking about the fact that ultimately drivers are elite athletes and there is so much that goes into racing that you don’t see; the G-force and everything that our bodies go through, the rigorous training we have to do to be able to do these races.

He was really interested in that level of insight so he could bring as much authenticity as possible to his role.

How does Brad embody the role of this veteran driver, Sonny Hayes?

I think he’s done an amazing job. He really brings a huge amount to the character of Sonny as a driver, but also to how his character nurtures an up-and-coming underdog.

For racing drivers, it’s important to work as a team but ultimately every other driver on track is your competition – even your team mate. So, there’s a real fine line and I think you get to see that play out between these two characters played by Brad and Damson [Idris].

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Part of the authenticity in the film is that you have Brad and Damson really driving these cars at real races. Why was that important to you as a filmmaker?

I think having Brad and Damson drive was integral to the authenticity of the story because, through my career, I would tell people how difficult it is in the race, and they’re like, “How much weight did you lose” or “What bruises do you have after a race?” or “What? You don’t have AC in the car?”

It’s super demanding. And yeah, we can lose up to 10 pounds within the race. So, I think having these two actors go through the process of the mental challenges that we go through as racing drivers – the speed in which you’re processing information, the affect on the body, how strong the brakes are, the G-forces…

I think it was really important for them because you can’t fake that. If you’ve not experienced it, you can’t imagine. By driving these cars – and they both did a great job – I think both of them got a real appreciation for what being a racing driver really means, and that’s what you get to see in the film.

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What’s it mean to you to know audiences are finally going to see this movie you produced on the big screen – the biggest screen?

Going from a treatment to seeing a whole script, working through a script, then going through developing cameras, through that whole process to now seeing it on a big screen… it’s amazing. I can’t wait to see people’s reactions, and how it makes them feel.

There’s so much authenticity and you really feel the speed and the competition between the drivers and how hungry they are to win – it feels like everything’s on the line.

There are only 20 of us in the world that drive in Formula 1, and this is going to bring that experience to people and give everyone the chance to feel what it’s like to be behind the wheel of one of our cars. I honestly can’t wait.

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