Brad Pitt, Hollywood heavyweight and star of the upcoming F1 movie, has seen his share of fame’s ups and downs, but he’s convinced Formula 1 drivers face even harsher scrutiny. In a candid chat with GQ ahead of the film’s June 25, 2025, international release, Pitt drew parallels between his life in the spotlight and the relentless pressure on F1 drivers, saying, “There’s an isolation… a loneliness when you don’t feel like things are clicking.”
But while movie stars deal with tabloids and red carpets, Pitt believes drivers endure a unique kind of heat: “Those guys are so scrutinized and that sport is so revered and there are so many of us that think we could do it, too, just because we drive a car fast down the freeway or something. They get so much s**t. It is shocking to me. They’ve got to have thicker skin than even us.”
Pitt stars as Sonny Hayes in F1, a fictional retired driver who returns to mentor a rookie, Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), for the made-up APXGP team. Directed by Joseph Kosinski of Top Gun: Maverick fame and produced with help from F1 legend Lewis Hamilton, the film dives deep into the high-stakes world of racing. Filming took place at real Grand Prix events, including Silverstone and Monaco, with Pitt and Idris driving modified Formula 2 cars alongside the actual 2023 F1 grid. The experience gave Pitt a front-row seat to the drivers’ world, and he came away awed by their grit. “I’ve got to tell you, as a civilian, I had no idea what it takes to be a driver and the aggression and dexterity,” he told Sky Sports (via MotorSport) F1 in 2023. “They’re amazing athletes.”
The F1 movie, set for a U.S. release on June 27, 2025, has been praised for its authenticity, thanks to Hamilton’s input and filming at tracks like Hungaroring and Suzuka. Drivers like Esteban Ocon and Carlos Sainz Jr., who saw an early screening in Monaco, noted Hamilton’s touch in keeping it real, with Ocon saying, “You can really feel that Lewis has pushed it to keep it super realistic.” But they also acknowledged Hollywood’s flair—Sainz called out “a bit too American” moments, like dramatic side-by-side racing scenes that don’t quite match F1’s precision. Still, drivers like Liam Lawson said the film captures the sport’s vibe, predicting it’ll hook new fans: “I can imagine somebody who’s watching F1 for the first time by watching that movie—they’re going to think it’s amazing.”
Pitt’s take on the drivers’ scrutiny isn’t just talk. He saw it firsthand while blending into the paddock, even joining a drivers’ briefing at the 2023 British Grand Prix, where he told the grid, “If we’re ever in the way, just tell us to f**k off.” The film’s trailers highlight the pressure, with Javier Bardem’s team owner calling Sonny a “gambling junkie” and Kerry Condon’s character jabbing, “They’re saying you’re a never-was.” These lines mirror real-life critiques drivers face—Lando Norris gets flak for his mental toughness, Max Verstappen catches heat for radio outbursts, and Lewis Hamilton faces criticism over everything from his fashion to his activism. Pitt’s point? Drivers need thicker skin than even A-listers like him, who’ve navigated decades of gossip and headlines.
Filming wasn’t easy. The $300 million production, one of the priciest ever, faced delays from the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, but Pitt said the extra time helped him and Idris hone their skills in the custom-built cars. “We had a whole nother year” to train, he told GQ, describing how he ignored speed-limit warnings from his stunt driver to push the cars to 180 mph. The result? Heart-pounding scenes that drivers like Oscar Piastri praised for convincing CGI, blending real race footage with the fictional APXGP cars. “If you don’t follow F1 fully, you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference,” Piastri said.
Not everyone’s sold, though. Some fans on platforms like Reddit worry the film leans too hard into Hollywood tropes, with one calling out the “cavalier approach to death” in trailers that doesn’t jibe with modern F1’s safety focus. They point to real drivers’ reactions to crashes, like Romain Grosjean’s harrowing 2020 Bahrain wreck, where he thought of Niki Lauda and fought to escape, not shrug it off. Others are skeptical of Pitt himself, citing personal controversies from his past, like allegations from a 2016 plane incident with Angelina Jolie and their kids, which led to their divorce. Posts on Reddit call him “problematic,” with one saying, “He’s a shi**y human being and I’ll never celebrate his involvement.”
Still, the buzz is strong. Drivers like Fernando Alonso think it “represents Formula 1 quite well,” and the film’s immersive approach—filming during real races with cameos from stars like Verstappen and former Haas boss Guenther Steiner—has fans curious. Pitt’s respect for the drivers shines through, and his comments show he gets the toll of their world. “It’s not just 20 guys on the grid,” Idris said. “It’s a whole company of people creating magic.” As F1 races toward theaters, Pitt’s take reminds us: movie stars might catch flak, but F1 drivers live under a microscope that’d make even Han Solo wince.