Lewis Hamilton nervous about reaction to new F1 film but planning more projects
By Scott Hunt, PA F1 Reporter, Monaco
Lewis Hamilton admits he was nervous about his fellow drivers seeing his Formula One movie and has revealed that he is working on more film projects.
The grid’s stars were given an exclusive screening of the action movie, titled F1, on Wednesday at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco ahead of this weekend’s grand prix.
It will see Oscar-winning actor Brad Pitt, 61, play the fictional veteran driver Sonny Hayes, who is returning to the sport after a long absence.
“All of a sudden, I’ve got all the drivers there, I was sat in the middle and I was nervous,” Hamilton said.
“I was like, ‘oh God everyone’s seeing it for the first time’. And it was great to look around and see some of the reactions. I really care what the drivers think and I wanted them to think highly of it.
“I think the great thing is the sound is great, the image is incredible. It’s something that’s never been done in Formula One before. So it’s something I’m really proud of.”
The Apple Original film, which is being co-produced by seven-time world champion Hamilton, will launch internationally on June 25.
The 40-year-old revealed that, having got a taste for directing, he and his film studio Dawn Apollo are working on more upcoming projects.
“To think that it’s finally here, after all the work that’s gone on, from having (score composer) Hans Zimmer – speaking to Hans and having Hans come on board and doing this score, I’m a huge fan of his – so just the whole project was incredible,” Hamilton added.
“At the beginning you see all the different logos for the production houses and my one comes up, which I worked on for so long – Dawn Apollo. It comes up like all planetary, that was all my idea.
“I’ve got three concepts that I’m writing. We will be producing more movies over the coming years. I’ve got these concepts, these ideas that I’ve come up with for movies.
“At least two of them will be animations. One of them, we’re already in the phase of the first part of the script already. So it’s exciting.”
F1 bosses hope the film, directed by Joseph Kosinski and co-produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, will help take the sport to new audiences in an even bigger way than Netflix’s docu-series ‘Drive to Survive’ has achieved.
British driver Oliver Bearman praised Pitt’s driving, saying: “Honestly he did an impressive job. He was pushing the car, that’s for sure.
“I know he was training in the background and I know the guy whose team he was training with and he said he was taking some risks and doing a good job. He did his homework, so it’s cool.
“I think the goal of the movie is going to be achieved. It is going to be a huge hit and it is going to make people want to watch F1.”
The drivers all played a part in the filming and George Russell is happy with the finished product.
“The way they integrated the drivers and team principals into a Hollywood movie it was like we are real characters in this Hollywood scene, so as an F1 fan you kind of find a bit of comedy in just seeing us popping up here and there with Brad Pitt,” Russell said.
On his own part, he added: “It was about a three-second long performance but sometimes that’s enough!”