Bubba Wallace Among Other Unhappy Drivers

IMAGO / Icon Sportswire

Working with Lewis Hamilton on his dream project, Brad Pitt recently made a surprise appearance at the 24 Hours of Daytona event for the filming of the upcoming F1 movie. While it may sound like a wonderful coming together of two worlds, GP Fans report the surprise stopping by of the Hollywood A-lister quickly became a severe cause of discomfort for the drivers taking part in the demanding event.

In the untitled (project name ‘Apex’) movie produced by Hamilton, Brad Pitt takes on the role of an aging racing driver who is making a comeback to the sport of F1. To show his path back to the sport, the film crew decided that the endurance event in Daytona would be an optimum fit. However, the on-track filming was not welcome by the real-world drivers, who had to face disruptions during a critical phase.

Security measures around Pitt’s motorhome meant popular IndyCar driver Scott Mclaughlin faced an unusual denial of access owing to a missing credential despite being in his racing suit. Meanwhile, top drivers such as NASCAR’s Bubba Wallace had to retire to the overflow lot owing to the filming disruptions.

However, not all drivers expressed discontent over the filming, as some of them chose to focus on the positive aspects of the upcoming movie. For example, former F1 world champion Jenson Button claimed that despite a lack of sleep, Brad Pitt playing a part in the event brought a certain uniqueness to it.

Brad Pitt becoming an integral part of the F1 world

With Pitt and Co. present at the event, Daytona Beach soon turned into an important landmark, as it became a crucial backdrop for the filming of the upcoming movie. Pitt’s character, Sonny Hayes, drives for the fictional team called ‘Chip Hart Racing,’ in a car used by Wright Motorsports in real life. For most of the scenes, professional drivers took over the driving duties instead of Pitt in the Porsche 911 GT3 with the no. ‘120’ on it. Branding on the car and the drivers’ suits added an element of realism to the scenes.

Pitt also played his part by taking up control behind the steering wheel for certain scenes. The movie’s producer, Jerry Bruckheimer, revealed that the driving skills of the Hollywood star impressed even the professional driver’s present at the venue. Apart from Pitt’s car, there were more identical GT3s running on the track to aid the movie’s filming.