A filmmaker with a soft spot for Ronnie Peterson, Gilles Villeneuve, Mika Hakkinen and above all, Tazio Nuvolari and Ayrton Senna, is also a diehard Formula One fan since the age of 4 (mid-90's). An avid researcher of the past of Grand Prix Racing since before it was even named F1, and with a thirst for knowledge of the ins and outs of the actuality of the sport, as well as for the technical aspects that define it, is a member of GPblog since 2023, where he has put his love of racing to good use.
Brad Pitt, the star of the F1 movie, became so in love with the sport that he was able to get a glimpse of what it means to be an F1 driver, the loneliness, the pressure and more. He also fell in love with the track Max Verstappen has often said to be his favorite.
In an interview with GQ the 61 year-old American actor revealed the depth of his experience playing F1 driver Sonny Hayes, and from Pitt's words it is evident there's a racer's heart in him yet.
“There’s an isolation, even a loneliness when you don’t feel like things are clicking. They usually lead to something greater and you can find purpose in it. But there is a definite isolation and it’s not necessarily a negative, it’s an endeavor and a constant discussion with you and yourself of maintaining this thing."
The pressures of the sport, the ever watchful eye of the press, for a celebrity that's been populating front pages for more than three decades, seems staggering.
"And, yes, I think we’ve got it bad (Hollywood celebrities, ed.). But those guys are so scrutinized and that sport is so revered and there are so many of us that think we could do it, too, just because we drive a car fast down the freeway or something. They get so much shit. It is shocking to me. They’ve got to have thicker skin than even us,” he adds.
ADVERTISEMENT
Brad Pitt speaking to Will Buxton
Read also
Brad Pitt, like Max Verstappen, loves Spa
Pitt got to drive the adapted F2 car at Spa, an experience he shares in great detail with such emotion, that one can't help but link to Verstappen's words and thoughts on the legendary track.
“It’s another place I can put myself in that car, in that seat. I can feel it. I can feel the adrenaline of approaching Eau Rouge and going up that blind [corner] full throttle."
ADVERTISEMENT
"I can picture coming around the back around Pouhon corner and trusting this car when it looks like it’s off-camber and you’re coming downhill and it looks like you’re just going to go flipping into space, and trusting it, and how it just digs into the curve, this high-speed corner kind of double apex." After a moment, the Hollywood star says, “And I am really happy.”
Don’t miss GPblog in Google
Mark us as a preferred source and our articles will appear more often at the top of Top Stories.
Add as a preferred / source on Google
