Brad Pitt details maiden F1 experience after private McLaren test
Hollwyood actor Brad Pitt completed his first real F1 test with McLaren last week.
Brad Pitt says he “never experienced” anything similar to driving a Formula 1 car following his maiden test with McLaren.
The Hollywood star got to turn his first laps in real F1 machinery at the Circuit of the Americas last week, piloting the 2023 McLaren MCL60 previously raced by Lando Norris.
Although Pitt plays a racing driver in Joseph Kosinski’s F1 movie, which releases worldwide this week, the film actually used modified Formula 2 cars to resemble grand prix machinery.
Hence, his outing at Austin marked the first time he drove a bonafide F1 car in real life.
The 61-year-old actor was left spellbound by his experience, as he reached speeds of up to 317km/h.
“I got to hit 197 [miles per hour] this week,” Pitt told the Beyond the Grid podcast.
“I really wanted to hit 200, it hurts me a little bit. Three miles per hour short on the straight.
“I've never experienced anything that's just a more feeling of presence in my life because you're so focused, but not you're not white knuckling.
“You're just in this, like, sublime groove. It is really extraordinary. And I try to explain this feeling of downforce and I fail every time because you try to say, like, a roller coaster, but that's not even right because you feel a fulcrum point underneath you. You're in it.
“I was in an aerobatic plane once and it's the closest thing. But still, this thing, this is such a unique feeling and an absolute high.
“I'm still on a high. I really am. I'm just still on a high. And I can't thank Zak Brown and the team and spent the day out with Lando. And just what a high.”
F1: The Movie stars Pitt as Sonny Hayes, a veteran racer returning to Formula 1 to mentor young talent Joshua Pearce, played by Damson Idris. Both characters drive for a fictional outfit called Apex GP, competing against the 10 real teams on the grid.
To bring the film’s racing scenes to life, the production team collaborated with Carlin and Mercedes to convert Dallara’s F2 chassis into convincing F1 lookalikes. Pitt and Idris both drove the modified cars, which were finished in a distinctive black-and-gold livery representing Apex GP.
