Lewis Hamilton says Brad Pitt’s character in F1 film has echoes of James Hunt

By Philip Duncan, PA F1 Correspondent, Spielberg

Lewis Hamilton has revealed Brad Pitt’s character in the new Formula One blockbuster was based on James Hunt.

F1: The Movie, of which seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton is an executive producer, was released this week.

Pitt, 61, plays the role of veteran driver Sonny Hayes, who returns to the grid after a long absence, with fictional team APX GP.

Hunt, the 1976 world champion, was famed for his charisma and maverick approach to motor racing.

Speaking ahead of this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix, Hamilton said: “Firstly, I didn’t write it. The writer, Ehren (Kruger), I am sure he was looking at people like James Hunt.

“He wanted a really cool character and he was looking at the characters from back in the (Ayrton) Senna days, so a combination of those drivers and I would say the James Hunt vibe.

“I don’t know if that is what he ultimately chose, but that is the character I feel resembles very closely to him (Hayes) – a very cool, calm, good-looking cat and an elder statesmen within the team.”

Pitt’s rookie team-mate Joshua Pearce is played by British actor Damson Idris. Filming took place across multiple races over the last two seasons, and F1 chiefs hope the movie will follow the popularity of Netflix’s Drive To Survive series in cracking America.

The film premiered in New York last Monday and Hamilton was in Times Square along with the majority of the grid’s drivers and cast.

He continued: “When you are reading the script it is hard to see how it will play out, but then to be at the premiere in the middle of Times Square and having Brad up on the screen with a Formula One car and the F1 logo, I was like, ‘holy crap, this is absolutely insane’.

“That experience was great and for me a moment I will never forget.

“I had seen the film so many times on my laptop, watching every different section for so long and making comments as we edited and improved it, and I was like, ‘I have seen it already so I am going to leave and go to dinner’, but I decided to stay and to see everyone’s reaction after it finished was one of the coolest things and really special.”