The new Formula 1 movie featuring Brad Pitt is set to premiere in June. At a special preview in the heart of Monaco, all Formula 1 drivers, including Williams driver Carlos Sainz, got a first glimpse of this new Hollywood production. The Spaniard enjoyed his debut on the silver screen, but he also warns that the film may not necessarily appeal to true Formula 1 fans.
“It’s an excellent Hollywood movie,” Sainz concluded during a media session in Monaco. “I genuinely enjoyed it. I think it might be difficult for Formula 1 experts to look past the Hollywood-like scenes – just like we see with, for example, Drive To Survive. But I truly believe this movie will attract a whole new audience, including people who know nothing about Formula 1. For us,” he pointed to the journalists present, “it will undoubtedly be too American and too Hollywood. We were warned about this in advance. The production told us: ‘Guys, we love this sport, but this is Hollywood.'”
Attracting New Fans
However, there is also a reason for the diehard Formula 1 fans to go to the cinema this summer, Sainz explained. “The scenes of the racing cars are incredibly good,” he emphasized. “That was the best part for me.” Sainz finally explained that the movie – whether it is true to life or not – is the perfect business card for Formula 1. “Apparently, they had a test audience fill out a questionnaire after watching the movie,” he revealed. “These were people who had never watched Formula 1 before. One hundred percent of them would give the sport a chance after watching the movie.”
Charles Leclerc, a former teammate, was also full of praise. He told Formula1.com that the unique camera footage was what stood out to him the most. “To be honest, I didn’t know what to expect when I walked into the cinema,” he explained. “We know this sport so well that you try to analyze everything. That being said, the storyline is really cool and the footage is simply incredible. The work the team has done to create different angles that we don’t see on the circuits is really cool. I thoroughly enjoyed it.”
Nearly all the drivers were present at a preview of the new Formula 1 movie – only Max Verstappen and Lance Stroll were not in attendance.
