Even in the jubilant mood about the next triumph on the way to the title hat-trick, Max Verstappen was not infected by the Brad Pitt euphoria.
“It’s not really my thing,” said the 25-year-old Dutchman. His overwhelming dominance in real Formula 1 is hardly suitable for Hollywood drama. With Red Bull he is on an almost unstoppable hunt for records, he made the World Cup a race for second place for the powerless competition. No wonder Verstappen prefers reality to an action thriller with star actor Pitt.
If Verstappen continues like this, he should probably break the record of nine race wins in a row set by Sebastian Vettel in 2013, also in the Red Bull. He can adjust them mathematically at the Oranje mood summit at home in Zandvoort. Verstappen’s brutal superiority with eight wins this season, six of them in a row, took the tension out of the title race early on. Teammate Sergio Pérez is weakening massively and is already a humiliating 99 points behind in second place in the World Championship standings. Verstappen demotes everyone to supporting actors.
Pitt meets cockpit
Just not Brad Pitt. The 59-year-old laughed with the running-in kids at Silverstone and joked with the real pilots. And he was just blown away. “It’s great to be here,” the actor told UK broadcaster Sky Sports. “I’m having the time of my life here.”
When the track was closed to everyone else, Pitt could also accelerate in his racing car. A Formula 2 model, optically adapted by Mercedes engineers to the top class of motorsport, equipped with various cameras designed to capture the load and speed in the racing car. The film is produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Joseph Kosiniski. The two were also responsible for “Top Gun: Maverick” with impressive sequences in fighter jets with Tom Cruise.
What would have been absolutely unthinkable in the past is now being made possible by the Formula 1 bosses from the USA after the era under the leadership of Bernie Ecclestone. “You might not have seen it as an important step in the growth of the sport,” said record world champion Lewis Hamilton in Silverstone, looking at Ecclestone and its allies.
UK filming just the beginning
Filming will take place on Grand Prix weekends this year, the race in England was just the beginning. Pitt’s great performance made an impression, at least on Verstappen’s colleagues. “He’s one of the superstars in the world, when you meet him for the first time it’s pretty surreal,” said Mercedes driver George Russell. And then you realize that Pitt, like Tom Cruise or Roger Federer, are normal people.
Pitt also gave some insights into what the film will be about. He plays a pilot who has a terrible accident in the 90’s. He then competed in other racing series until a friend brought him back to Formula 1. The buddy is the boss of a chronically unsuccessful team and has a super talent in the racing team. According to Pitt, Oscar winner Javier Bardem will play the team boss, while Damson Idris will play Pitt’s up-and-coming teammate.
The two were then allowed to line up to the delight of over 150,000 fans at the former military airport north-east of London on the Sunday before the British Grand Prix as the national anthem was played. Their black and gold racing cars had been on the starting grid in 21st and 22nd place before the warm-up lap.
“Great Athletes”
Pitt, who had also created a good mood at the official driver briefing, then thanked the Formula 1 bosses in the Sky interview. He said he hadn’t had any experience in racing cars before. But on motorcycles. “That helped a lot,” he said. He also had no idea what it meant physically to be a racer, Pitt explained: “These are great athletes, I have so much respect for them.”
Hamilton had pushed aside doubts as to whether an almost 60-year-old could appear authentic as a Formula 1 driver. “He looks like he’s aging backwards. He’s super fit,” said the 38-year-old seven-time champion. Hamilton is involved in the Hollywood flick as a co-producer and consultant. In the real Formula 1, however, even he currently only plays a supporting role.
