Hamilton promises F1 film “authenticity” as Brad Pitt 11th team rumours dismissed

The seven-time champion is a producer and advisor to the new F1 film project that has been backed by Apple.

Filming is due to start soon at grand prix events, and speculation ran rampant earlier this week that Pitt was going to run in a real car in practice at the British Grand Prix alongside the current field.

The suggestions of the film crew being run as an 11th team prompted a joke response from IndyCar driver Colton Herta, whose move to F1 was derailed because he had not earned enough mandatory superlicence points.

However, the suggestion of Pitt driving in a real session is wide of the mark, beyond the fact it would be logistically impossible on licence, safety and sporting equity grounds for him to run in a competitive practice.

Instead, it is understood that the plan is for there to be some filming of Pitt at events running alone on track in a modified single seater – potentially either an F2 or F3 car.

This filming would help deliver a backdrop of a live racing crowd and all the infrastructure being in place at a genuine grand prix.

Hamilton says progress is being made on the film, as he made it clear that he did not want the movie to end up being such a fantasy that it was mocked by real F1 fans.

Asked about the latest plans for filming at events, Hamilton said: “I don’t know absolutely every single plan of all the different things we’re going to be doing within the paddock and all those sorts of things.

“I’m more focused right now on making sure the script is where it needs to be, so that’s where all the time currently is going. It is making sure we’ve got a really great and diverse cast.

“It is kind of (director) Joe [Kosinski]’s focus to make sure that we’re as embedded into this sport as possible, and it’s current. And 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. 

“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.

“So, I’m spending a lot of time right now helping Joe and the team get the script right, and that’s an amazing process. I’m really enjoying it.”