Lewis Hamilton Linked To Brad Pitt’s Formula 1 Movie
We take an early look at Pitt's foray into F1 – and how his movie might just resurrect an old rivarly from within Mercedes.
New reports from Deadline revealed that seven-time former World Champion Lewis Hamilton will be involved in a major Formula 1-related film.
The film, currently untitled, was revealed to be an exclusive Apple project, after negotiations with Paramount, MGM, Sony and Universal, as well as Netflix and Amazon. Director Joseph Kosinski and Writer Ehren Kruger are teaming up once more – this will be their next film together after Tom Cruise starrer, Top Gun: Maverick.
What Will The Film Be About?
According to the report, actor Brad Pitt will be playing ‘a racer who comes out of retirement to mentor a younger driver and take his final stab at glory on the track as the younger driver’s teammate.’
Pitt has been deeply involved with racing for several years – and has taken a particular interest in motorcycles. Aside from owning several of the world’s most desirable sports bikes, he’s also lent his voice and production efforts to Hitting the Apex – arguably one of the greatest modern racing documentaries ever made.
All of this points to one thing – as the central hook of this project, Pitt and the crew behind him will be eager to adapt and draw from real-life racing experiences.
This is one of the most dramatic sports in the world, after all.
Schumacher and Rosberg?
Sure, we’re grasping at straws here. But looking at what little we do know, there’s no better fit than the story of Michael Schumacher between 2006 and 2012.
After a record-shattering stint at Ferrari, Schumi found himself standing at the edge of a 15-year career that redefined the sport. Aged 37 at the time, his announced retirement drew up a storm of controversy – some fans simply accepted that the German racer’s priorities had changed, while others argued that ex-Ferrari boss Luca Montezemelo had a role to play behind the scenes.
Whichever way you play it, the truth was that Schumacher wasn’t content with 7 world titles. He returned to race in 2010, alongside a 25-year old Nico Rosberg for a brand-new Mercedes GP team.
Having an all-time great as your teammate must have been intimidating, and Schumacher reportedly did not make it easy for his younger German counterpart. In a 2020 interview, Rosberg spoke about how difficult it was to share a crew with Schumacher. Apart from constant psychological warfare against both him and the rest of the grid, Rosberg felt like he was constantly forced to play catch-up.
“When Michael came along he was like God in the team,” he explained. “When we had some strategy meetings, even my strategy was only being discussed with Michael and not with me, even though I was sitting there.”
There’s even an infamous moment that Rosberg took a moment to address. “The Monaco bathroom was one example,” he shared. “Five minutes before qualifying, and only one bathroom in the garage, and he knows I’m standing outside because I’m knocking like crazy, telling whoever is in there to please get out. I’m panicking. I need to pee before qualifying.
Michael is in there looking at his watch, just chilling because he knows he is going to create more and more stress in my mind, and then with one minute to go he walks out, all chilled out, and he’s like ‘Oh sorry! I didn’t know you were there.”
The question is – will Pitt’s story be one of redemption and passing the torch, or will he fall from grace as a result of his character’s hunger for glory?
Seriously, this stuff writes itself!
Hamilton’s Involvement
As far as Hamilton is concerned, the ex-champ seems to be going through post-season stresses of his own – although a confident Mercedes-AMG team recently proved why next year won’t turn out the same with a bold engine update directed at their rivals.
With a long relationship at Mercedes and GOAT status for himself, it’s not surprising that Pitt’s team will greatly benefit from Hamilton’s inputs – both for orchestrating an authentic filmmaking experience for F1, as well as a keen understanding of on-grid politics.
That said, an American team of writers, producers, and actors… in an F1 movie? Something smells off here… but until we see more, let’s wait with a bit of cautious optimism.
Perhaps Hamilton and the rest of Europe will bring them around.
(Image Sources: @lewishamilton, @bradpitt, PA)
