For one evening, the racers traded their racing suits for tuxedos. The film premiere of F1: The Movie took place on Monday evening at Times Square in New York. Not all drivers were present, Max Verstappen chose to skip the event, but most of the attending drivers were enthusiastic about the latest Hollywood blockbuster.
The drivers had the opportunity to watch the film in Monaco, and therefore could share their opinions prior to the screening in New York. “The film shows different aspects of the sport,” praises Sauber’s Nico Hülkenberg the blockbuster, speaking to Formula1.com. “Very different from Drive To Survive. This is the glamour that F1 has been waiting for.”
Haas driver Oliver Bearman commends the film for its realism. “When you see how they (APXGP, the fictional F1 team in the film) have embedded themselves in F1, I don’t think there has been another sport that has allowed a film to be so integrated into their midst,” says the rookie. “They did a good job making it realistic.” Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc was a bit overwhelmed by the number of fans that showed up for the premiere. “Great to see so much support in the United States,” says the Ferrari driver. “The film is fantastic, and I’m sure it will introduce even more people to the world of F1.”
Brad Pitt’s Role
Yuki Tsunoda was also present in New York. The Japanese driver found the film ‘cool’, but also made a small note about his own scenes. “Unfortunately, I was overtaken by Brad Pitt in most of my scenes. But you can really feel the speed of F1, as if you’re a driver yourself,” he said. For Lando Norris, who may have needed a night out after his collision with teammate Oscar Piastri in Canada, his participation in the film is not a reason to switch careers. “One thing I know for sure: I’m not an actor and I never will be,” he stated.
While Alexander Albon revealed to the audience that there are a few ‘Easter eggs’ in the film for the real F1 fans, his teammate Carlos Sainz was particularly impressed by lead actor Brad Pitt. The actor had been present at several Formula 1 weekends over the past seasons to film scenes. “It felt strange to walk over the grid next to Brad,” said the Spaniard. “I thought, ‘What are you doing here?’. Then I also thought, ‘What am I actually doing here?’, because I was walking next to a real movie star.”
