Martin Brundle watched Brad Pitt drive a real Formula 1 car – the Hollywood star is said to have performed well
After the huge success of the F1 movie, it was no surprise that British actor and lead actor Damson Idris showed up at the legendary Silverstone Circuit to wave the checkered flag. But it was his co-star Brad Pitt who had Martin Brundle and Zak Brown raving – because the Hollywood star was behind the wheel of the McLaren MCL60 at the Circuit of The Americas just a few weeks ago.
While the driving scenes for the film were shot with heavily modified Formula 2 cars, this was Pitt’s first real outing in a Formula 1 car – an experience that clearly impressed Brundle.
“He was good,” said Brundle during the broadcast on Sky Sports F1. “He was solid out there, and that’s not easy. There’s so much going on at once. I said it in the commentary too: the mental overload when the scenery suddenly rushes towards you, you’ve got 1,000 horsepower under your right foot, you hear a little beep in your ear – and you just shift through the gears.”
Pitt and Brundle together
“Then you open the DRS, and the world seems to race past you at warp speed. And then you have to brake somewhere, but you’re not quite sure where. And you’re trying to talk at the same time – but it’s a great experience.”
Brundle spent a lot of time with Pitt in the run-up to the film’s release. Not only did he interview him for the channel earlier this year, but he also appeared in the film himself – as a commentator to explain the racing action to less experienced viewers.
“I thought Brad was a really nice guy who did a great job [in the Formula 1 car]. I asked him, ‘Would you like to do a bit of racing?’ And he had obviously already thought about it. He was impressive. Really impressive. It was my 73rd Formula 1 car. It was his first. He did a great job and didn’t crash it.”
Brown also impressed
Brundle wasn’t impressed by Pitt’s celebrity status, but by his genuine passion for racing and his thirst for knowledge.
“There was a moment when I was getting a briefing – how to start the car, which clutch lever to pull, and so on. And he just pulled up a chair, sat down next to me, and listened. He just wanted to know more and more. It was one of the best days of my TV career.“
McLaren CEO Zak Brown also drew a positive conclusion – even though his team had to sacrifice valuable TPC time for the shoot. ”Some of the feedback you gave us, especially regarding the mindset of drivers, was really interesting and useful. So we also gained something from it ourselves,“ Brown said to Brundle.
When asked how big the difference was between the former professional and the actor behind the wheel, Brown replied diplomatically: ”There’s a reason why Martin was paid to race,” he laughed. “But I have to say, Brad did a great job. He took it really seriously, and I spoke to him afterwards. He wanted to look at his data. Brad is a better actor than he is a racing driver, but he did really well. Seriously, he got it right very, very quickly.”
