Max Verstappen reportedly refused to shoot a scene alongside Brad Pitt in the recently released F1 movie. The scene, which was to take place in a nightclub, involved Pitt’s character Sonny Hayes and Verstappen, the reigning four-time World Champion, but the driver chose not to participate. This revelation comes from the Telegraph, highlighting Verstappen’s unexpected decision amid the film’s prominence.
The F1 movie, which premieres globally in late June, builds on the popularity of Netflix’s Drive to Survive series. It integrates fictional storytelling with real Formula 1 racing action. Brad Pitt stars as Sonny Hayes, the experienced driver of the fictional Apex GP team, while rookie Joshua Pearce, played by Damson Idris, is his teammate battling to keep the team competitive.
Numerous current Formula 1 drivers appear in the film, including Max Verstappen, who is featured in a pivotal race sequence against Joshua Pearce. Despite this involvement, Verstappen opted out of an extended role that would have included a direct interaction with Pitt’s character.
Insights Into the Film’s Production and Verstappen’s Limited Involvement
The movie‘s filming uniquely blended scripted scenes with actual Formula 1 events, lending authenticity to the storyline. Apex GP’s struggle to break away from backmarker status offers a central conflict, with various real-life drivers contributing cameos that enhance the film’s appeal to motorsport fans.
Max Verstappen’s choice to decline the nightclub scene was one of several indications of his limited engagement with the film’s promotion. He did not attend the special screening for drivers in Monaco or the New York premiere. His absence at the latter was due to a scheduling conflict with a GT3 test at Spa-Francorchamps, the venue of the Belgian Grand Prix.
Verstappen has also not yet viewed the movie himself. When asked about this at a press conference, he expressed surprise that it was already available. He explained,
“I haven’t seen it on Apple TV. I was on Apple TV yesterday. I haven’t seen it pop up.”
Reactions from Fellow Drivers and What Lies Ahead
Verstappen’s former Red Bull teammate Pierre Gasly, by contrast, has watched the film and shared positive impressions, encouraging Verstappen to see it soon. Gasly said,
“I just wanted to tell Max: they show you winning the race at some point, so you definitely should watch it, You’re going to enjoy that!”
He added,
“Personally, I really, really enjoyed it. I think we’ve already made a lot of comments about the movie, so I don’t want to expand too much. But it’s cool and really looking forward to seeing what the people think about it.”
As Formula 1 continues its season with the upcoming Austrian Grand Prix, Verstappen remains focused on the track rather than the film. His snub of the Brad Pitt F1 movie scene adds an intriguing layer to how drivers engage with media portrayals of the sport. It also raises questions about how much influence top athletes should have over their depiction in entertainment.
