Sunday 17 / November / 2024
Oklahoma: Brad Pitt, who is playing a Formula 1 (F1) driver in his next film, wore a racing outfit and walked the starting grid alongside actual F1 drivers at the British Grand Prix.
Pitt, who plays a seasoned Formula One driver in the movie, was spotted with co-star Damson Idris sporting a white and black racing outfit with the logo of their fictional team, APXGP, reported People. "Welcome to the grid, APXGP..#F1," the official Instagram account for Formula 1 wrote alongside a series of snapshots of the fictional team on the grid -- with Pitt and Idris, 31, standing alongside drivers including current F1 world champion Max Verstappen and Ferarri's Carlos Sainz.
Pitt was also filmed driving on the track for the movie and admitted he was feeling a "little giddy" after the adrenaline-filled drive in front of 140,000 race fans at the Silverstone race track in Northamptonshire, around 70 miles north of London, according to People.
"I've got to say it's just great to be here," Pitt told Sky Sports F1 presenter Martin Brundle after his turn in the cockpit. "We're just having such a laugh, such a laugh, time of my life."
"Listen, it's just all been great, I mean the vibe's amazing, just to get to be a part of it in this way and get to tell our story, everyone has been really cool with us. All the teams have opened the doors for us."
"It's going to be really good," he added of the movie. "I'm gonna be here until they kick me out because I'm loving it. I think it's every guy's dream."
"I would be a guy who raced in the 90s," he said. "He has a horrible crash and kind of craps out and disappears and then is racing in other disciplines."
"Then his friend, played by Javier Bardem, is the team owner. They're the last place team, they're 21, 22 on the grid, they've never scored a point and they have a young phenom played by Damson Idris and he brings me in as kind of a Hail Mary and hijinks ensure. Tell you what's amazing about it, you'll see the cameras come out all over the car, the shots you've never seen speed, you've never seen G forces like this, it's really, really exciting."
'The Big Short' actor also admitted that he had only ever driven motorcycles and had never driven a racing car on a track. "I've spent the last 20 years on bikes on tracks, so that helped a lot," he said, adding that it was "really humbling" to have some of the drivers showing him the way on the track.
"I don't know if you can call mine a hot lap, I call it kind of a warm lap," he laughed at his driving skills. "I've taken a few tours unintentionally through the grass, it's been such a high."
Asked if he'd "hit anything hard yet," Pitt laughed, "No, only my ego."
"I really wasn't (nervous), the guys really prepared me well," he continued. "There is a couple of corners where I can see the stands but on the straights, you have a bit of time to look around, but no I'm really focused on lines and what we're trying to create in these moments."
"For us, I want to say for all the armchair experts out there you've got to give us a little breathing room. If you see any spin-outs or something that looks like a stall, it's by design!"
He added, "As a civilian, I had no idea what it takes to be a driver and the aggression and dexterity. They're amazing athletes. I've got so much respect for everyone out there in all classes."
The British Grand Prix was a star-studded affair, with celebrities including Florence Pugh, Liam Payne, Geri Horner, Cara Delevingne, Paris Hilton and Damian Lewis all in attendance, reported People.
