F1 The Movie is just around the corner. After getting glowing reviews from critics and the press, the film will be hoping to leave a mark on the box office. Brad Pitt and director Joseph Kosinski have often talked about the extra effort they put into the movie in order for the racing sequences to look organic and real. Guided by co-producer and seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton, F1 The Movie had both Pitt and Damson Idris driving the cars for real at speeds up to 180 mph. Pitt plays the character of Sonny Hayes, who is making a comeback to Formula One, but the trailers never seem to make clear the reason behind his initial departure. In a recent interview, Pitt touched on the narrative of the film and revealed the inspiration behind some of the plot points of the movie.
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Pitt talked about F1 The Movie on the Beyond The Grid podcast and revealed how the ‘Crashgate Scandal’ of 2008 involving the Renault team was something they pulled from. The actor said, “You know, this happened in 1994, and this happened in 2008. We were drawing from all of it. We looked a lot at – and I mean this respectfully.” He continued, “We were a last-place team, and we needed to play with the rules. We needed to get right to the edge of the rules to be competitive in any way. And that’s where Sonny starts out and is rather disliked because of it.”
The Crashgate took place during the 2008 Singapore GP when Renault driver Nelson Piquet Jr deliberately crashed his car to give his teammate Fernando Alonso an advantage. The scandal came to light when Nelson, after getting dropped from the team, revealed that he was asked to crash his car, and an investigation into the matter was carried out.
F1 The Movie has been directed by Joseph Kosinski, and the cast includes Brat Pitt, Javier Bardem, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon and Lewis Hamilton. Pitt will play the role of a veteran driver who returns to Formula One and teams up with a rookie (Idris) to save his old friend’s (Bardem) team. The film also features music from aristes like Ed Sheeran, BLACKPINK, Chris Stapleton, Doja Cat and more. It releases worldwide on June 27.
