F1: Filming for Brad Pitt movie will burden teams during race weekends

–by Mark Cipolloni–

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has warned Formula 1 will need to “control” the filming of the new Brad Pitt movie about Formula 1 as it could become “quite invasive in terms of production”.

It is set to start production in the coming weeks from a base at Silverstone, with some of the action to be shot around real race events with the filming fitted around the regular schedule.

“I have such high hopes for it,” said co-producer Lewis Hamilton. “I know we’re going to make the best racing movie that’s ever existed, both visually, and we’re going to work on making sure we pull on the heartstrings of all those fans.”

Speaking during a meeting with F1 investors, as quoted by Autosport.com, he said it’s “another way to show what we want to do, something different.

“When we started the collaboration with Netflix, the [F1] community said what’s going on? This is not our place to be.

“And now we understand the power of it. And then we added the very strong presence with social media, making sure that all our drivers and teams are very active in promoting the sport.

“And that’s another tool with the movie. Actually, we’re going to start the shooting in Silverstone very soon, and you will see it will be the first movie when basically, they will be within the racing event.

“It will be quite invasive in terms of production, it’s something that we need to control in a way, but it will be another way of showing that F1 never stops [improving and innovating].”

Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei stressed that F1 cannot rely on Netflix series Drive to Survive as a long-term promotional tool, and that the film is another step in raising awareness of the sport. Drive to survive/Netflix is contracted to film and produce through the 2024 season. After that, who knows.

“The Simpsons has gone for 20 years, but there aren’t that many shows that run that long,” said Maffei. “Drive to Survive is wonderful. But we cannot rely on Drive to Survive to be our only promotion vehicle forever.

“You’ve got to keep it fresh, change the game. And that’s one of the things I’d like to think we’ve done with the team entering F1. Credit Stefano, what we’ve done more recently around other kinds of Instagram and TikTok and the like, we’re keeping it fresh and different.

“This movie, kind of like Vegas, is going to be a whole other level. As much as Drive to Survive is enormous to a lot of people around the world, I still go places and people say, ‘Huh?’ Its audience is not that big. It may be big among this group, but it’s not that big.

“A Brad Pitt movie with Lewis Hamilton consulting, and with Bruckheimer and with the director from Top Gun: Maverick – we’ve already seen some of what they’re going to do, and how they’re going to skin these cars. They took the technology from Top Gun, and it’s going to be amazing.”