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F1 drivers were told not to do one thing with Brad Pitt during filming of upcoming racing movie

Originally posted on HITC | By David Comerford | Last updated Jun 21, 2025 8:24 AM ET

Lewis Hamilton wasn’t just a consultant on Brad Pitt’s upcoming F1 movie – he was one of the driving forces behind it, determined to make sure it felt true to the sport.

He teamed up with Pitt and Top Gun producer Jerry Bruckheimer to craft a film that gave fans a real sense of life inside the paddock — and there weren’t many corners cut. F1 debuts in the UK on June 25 and features a fictional team, APXGP, which was given rare access to film inside the actual race weekend environments.

At a number of events, including Silverstone, the film’s crew set up a physical garage in the actual pit lane. During the British Grand Prix, they even had their actors and cars take position on the real starting grid before the race. Footage from those sequences made it into the film.

How F1 paddock filming tested broadcast team’s patience

Filming ran through both the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Since then, a handful of teams have changed names or liveries, so post-production teams had to digitally alter some shots to keep the story aligned. The film’s presence extended into the media zones too.

At Silverstone, Pitt and co-star Damson Idris were seen filming interview scenes alongside real drivers giving actual media interviews. The drivers weren’t supposed to acknowledge the actors – in fact, everyone in the paddock was reportedly told to just act natural and not draw attention to the film crew.

That kind of request made things logistically tricky for F1’s own broadcasters. During filming, the crews behind Formula 1’s global broadcast had to adapt and find ways to accommodate the movie production without interfering with actual interviews or race coverage.

Although there were some complaints about the disruptions at the time, the atmosphere has changed as the film’s release approaches. Early reactions from people in the paddock have been mostly positive, and there’s growing hope it could attract new fans to the sport.

F1 drivers had already seen the controversial scene before premiere

The drivers had already seen the film by the time of its New York premiere. They were given a private viewing in Monaco and the reviews have mostly been positive. F1 itself has leaned heavily into the film’s release as a potential boost to global interest.

Photo by Kym Illman/Getty Images

But one scene didn’t quite land as intended. According to some reports, the drivers burst into laughter during a sequence meant to echo Romain Grosjean’s fiery crash in Bahrain. Some felt it was a bit too sensationalised for their taste — which could be an early sign that the movie might not hit the mark with every long-time fan.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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