Brad Pitt makes British Grand Prix debut for upcoming Formula 1 film

THE FORMULA 1 might be a sport of blistering speed, but no, you are not mistaken for thinking there was a driver that resembled Brad Pitt at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone this weekend. It was, indeed, the two-time Oscar-winning movie star who was seen at the track for his role as a Formula 1 driver in Joseph Kosinski’s (Top Gun: Maverick) upcoming film, Apex F1.

Pitt was largely the highlight of all happenings at Silverstone this past weekend, as he took to the circuit with actual Formula 1 drivers to film multiple scenes for the high-speed flick. In an interview with former driver (and often controversial celebrity interviewer) Martin Brundle for Sky Sports, Pitt unveiled some highly anticipated plot details about the Apple Original Film.

What is Brad Pitt’s Apex F1 about?

“I would be a guy who raced in the ‘90s,” Pitt said of his character in Apex F1.

“He has a horrible crash, kind of craps out and disappears, and then is racing in other disciplines. And then his friend, played by Javier Bardem, is a team owner. They’re a last place team, they’re 21 or 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 hijinx ensue.”

Pitt will play the fictional Sonny Hayes, a washed up Formula 1 driver, who is brought on to bring some glory back to the last-placed ‘APX GP’ team.

If the film is anything like director Joseph Kosinski’s Top Gun: Maverick — fast, thrilling, action-packed — then this Formula 1 film will appease even the toughest critic. And while Pitt might not be as crazy with his stunts unlike Tom Cruise in Top Gun, at the weekend, the 59-year-old drove an actual F1 car at Silverstone at the weekend, driving at top speeds during his race scenes, with cameras mounted in and around the vehicle to capture every angle of the drive.

“I’ll tell you what’s amazing about it. You see the cameras mounted all over the car. You’ve never seen speed, you’ve never seen g-force like this. It’s really, really exciting,” Pitt told Sky Sports. “And it’s really humbling. I don’t know if you can call mine a hot lap, it’s kind of a warm lap. I’ve taken a few tours unintentionally through the grass, but it’s just been such a high.”

Who else stars in Apex F1?

The untitled Apple Original Movie movie is being made in collaboration with F1 and will also star Damson Idris and Kerry Condon. Current Formula 1 racing champion Lewis Hamilton is serving as a producer and advisor on the project.

When will Apex F1 be released?

The movie crew is expected to be on site for other races later this year, with the movie anticipated to be ready for Apple TV+ streaming — and a limited cinema release — before the end of 2024 or early 2025.