F1 Movie Producer Reveals How Lewis Hamilton's Raised Cost Of Production

Saajan Jogia | Nov 15, 2024

Oct 20, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport driver Lewis Hamilton of Team Great Britain arrives at the Formula 1 Pirelli United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jay Janner-Imagn Images / Jay Janner/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

Jerry Bruckheimer, producer of the upcoming F1 movie, has highlighted Lewis Hamilton's impeccable attention to detail, which has not only enhanced the film's authenticity but also driven up production costs. Starring Brad Pitt and set for release on June 25, 2025, the film promises to deliver an immersive and realistic portrayal of a Formula 1 season.

The film has placed a strong emphasis on authenticity, with Hamilton, the co-producer of the movie, in charge of ensuring that it remains in touch with Formula 1 reality. Filming took place during several Grand Prix weekends, where a fictional team was also seen in action with a lookalike Formula 1 car and a proper crew. Through the movie, Bruckheimer aims to showcase the challenges of a demanding F1 season faced by a Formula 1 driver.

Bruckheimer recalls one example that represents the attention to detail given in the movie, allowing Formula 1 fans to connect the on-screen action with real-world Grand Prix scenarios. He described a moment during filming at Silverstone when Hamilton, simply by hearing the engine note, advised Brad Pitt to shift into the correct gear, ensuring the scene's authenticity. He said:

"Lewis Hamilton saw a part of it, gave us a critique of how the drivers actually do various things.

"The level of specifics that he gave us, like in Silverstone in Turn 3 you're in second gear, and he could hear with his ear we [Brad Pitt] were in third gear.

"So it's that kind of thing that he's bringing to the movie, and he said... when he finishes a race, especially like Singapore, where it's very hot, he can barely get out of the car, they lose 10 pounds... and it's not only him, it's all of them.

"They're just completely exhausted [and] we're going to show what it takes to be an F1 driver."

The 81-year-old producer admitted that while incorporating feedback from the seven-time world champion often came with increased costs, he valued Hamilton's dedication to making the film as authentic as possible. Bruckheimer added:

"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.

"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."