His upcoming F1 movie is going to be lit.
British tabloid The Sun reports that it spoke to a source within the production of Brad Pitt and Lewis Hamilton's upcoming F1 film for Apple TV, claiming that Pitt has received permission from the FIA to partake in the “parade” lap at the 2023 Silverstone GP.
“Watching Brad Pitt leading the field in the British Grand Prix will be an incredible and surreal moment for TV viewers and fans at Silverstone this July,” said the source. We already know the film will shoot on race weekends this year, but joining a real parade lap is even more special.
However, there seems to be some confusion as there's a big difference between a parade lap and a formation lap. The parade lap sees the drivers chauffeured in classic cars to wave at the crowds around the circuit. The formation lap, however, is the first lap taken before the race gets underway.
A formation lap is traditionally a slow lap that takes place between 30-75 mph behind the safety car. Interestingly, the 1983 British Grand Prix was the first F1 race with a full parade lap. The FIA found that warming the tires and brakes dramatically cuts down on first racing lap crashes, though you'd never believe it looking at the 2022 British Grand Prix.
Conflicting reports have quoted both terms, but the parade lap seems easier to facilitate. A formation lap would require a special set of circumstances and perhaps a change to the typical race operation.
Perhaps the source's claim that Pitt will be “leading the field” is a bit exaggerated. Perhaps the track will be filled by actors and junior drivers in replica F1 cars. Perhaps Pitt will only partake in the parade lap. Another possibility is that Pitt will be on track with the real cars and drivers for a formation lap but that they will humor the film crew outside of the official race program (a few hours before the race, potentially).
For all we know, the entire rumor is baseless. Whatever the case, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has warned Motorsport.com to expect the film to be “quite invasive” and a challenge to accommodate. Hopefully, this has no knock-on effects for real-life racing.
As for the plot, all we know is that Brad Pitt is playing a retired F1 driver who returns to the sport to help a young and upcoming driver. Hamilton's role will likely be an extended cameo.
The rest of the cast remains a mystery. Either way, Pitt and the film's protagonist are in for a wild ride. We'd start them off in the Aston Martin Vantage safety car and then slowly progress to faster machinery, but we hope they get as close to the real thing as possible.
Keyword: Brad Pitt Gets Permission To Partake In British Grand Prix Parade Lap For Upcoming Movie