Brad Pitt gets personal about Lewis Hamilton: “A gem and a gent”

Never before have we seen Formula 1 collaborate in such a way as it has with the F1 movie. Not only has the sport opened its doors almost entirely to the production, but seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton dedicated a large amount of time to cultivating the project into something believable and authentic. Now, days ahead of the film’s release, director Joseph Kosinski and star Brad Pitt have revealed the extent of Hamilton’s contributions to the film, with his input being nothing short of “invaluable”. 

A casual chat between Hamilton and Kosinski turned into a substantial collaboration as the two worked towards bringing F1 to the big screen, and it was this relationship that pushed the production to greater heights.

“When Lewis came on, then it was a go. And it was a simple phone call for me,” said Pitt. “I remember we sat down that first time – and that’s less about racing and more about just sitting with a gem of a human being. There’s a reason… champions are made, I think, beyond just talent.

“It’s also how they carry themselves and how they face the world. And he is just a gem and a gent. Really, really.”

The 61-year-old clearly admires the Ferrari driver beyond that of his skill behind the wheel. 

“And then you come to what the expertise is that he has brought to this thing. He would give us like 12 hours in a day. We’d just sit and just query and throw questions at him – ‘What about this?’ – and he really helped shape us – shape this film.”

Kosinski, known for his work on Top Gun: Maverick, was equally as effusive in his praise for Hamilton and how he helped develop the project. 

Lewis Hamilton at the World Premiere of F1 The Movie

Photo by: Getty Images

“Lewis Hamilton has been involved every step of the way – from creating the original story with me to getting every detail of the cars, from what gear you’re in to what it sounds like when you’re on the back straight,” Kosinski explained. “And he has just been invaluable in getting this right.”

Hamilton brought a level of detail that even cost the studio more money, but they pushed through regardless.

“Everything that he has brought to this movie, I can’t even express our thanks to him and all the folks from F1 who made this all possible,” producer Jerry Bruckheimer said.

“But the authenticity that he brings, we just can’t imagine what goes into what a driver does and what the sport brings to an audience.

“Sometimes we don’t like to hear some of the things he says, because it costs us more money to fix things, but we’re all in, we want to make it great, and he’s certainly helping us.”