Celebrities are regularly seen at Formula 1 race weekends, but Brad Pitt is taking it one step further.
The movie star is set to appear at the famous Silverstone Circuit during this weekend's British Grand Prix.
However, he will not be there as a fan ... he will be driving on the actual track.
Here's what we know about his foray into the world of F1.
MORE: When and where is the next Formula 1 race?
Will Brad Pitt race during the F1 British Grand Prix?
Despite some initial reports suggesting Pitt would be driving a real F1 car alongside the full 20-driver grid, that is simply not feasible.
The Hollywood star will instead drive an adapted F2 car during the upcoming British Grand Prix race weekend.
He will also only be on the track when it is empty between sessions.
As part of the movie, the directors are adding a fictional '11th team' to the grid, with Silverstone to kickstart their on-track filming schedule.
However, due to safety reasons and competition regulations, it is virtually impossible for the movie to be filmed during live F1 action (outside of general B-roll).
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has previously spoken about the "invasive" nature of the filming but believes the motorsport series will be able to manage it.
"We’re going to start the shooting in Silverstone very soon, and you will see it will be the first movie when basically, they will be within the racing event," he said.
"It will be quite invasive in terms of production, it’s something that we need to control in a way. But it will be another way of showing that F1 never stops."
Motorsport journalist Will Buxton elaborated on the movie's intentions via Twitter after hosting a promotional event.
"Their [producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Joseph Kosinski's] F1 movie sounds incredible. They’re creating an 11th team and filming on track and on event from Silverstone to the end of the year," Buxton wrote.
"They’ve spent 18 months taking what they learned on Top Gun Maverick to develop the smallest moveable 6k camera ever designed to take the viewer into the cockpit. A cockpit in which their stars will actually drive. That’s right. Brad Pitt driving an F1 car from Silverstone onwards."
Will Brad Pitt drive a real F1 car at Silverstone?
No, Brad Pitt will not be driving an actual F1 car during the filming of his new movie.
Instead, he will drive an adapted F2 car, which still possesses a number of similar qualities to its more expensive and upgraded counterpart.
The vehicle has been worked on by the Mercedes F1, so will likely have internal and external attributes that mimic the real deal.
Notably, Mercedes driver and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton is co-producing the film, and is reported to be in regular contact with filmmakers over the script and other relevant details.
“We’ve got a really great and diverse cast. Joe’s focus is to make us as embedded in this sport as possible," Hamilton told the media ahead of the Miami Grand Prix.
"For me, it’s to make sure it’s authentic, and that all of you and racing fans see its authenticity and say ‘this is believable’, and have a view of racing from a different perspective than you might see on TV.
“I’m spending a lot of time right now helping Joe and the team get the script right, it’s an amazing process and I’m really enjoying it.”
Brad Pitt F1 movie title, release date
ESPN have reported that the movie will be titled 'Apex'.
Brad Pitt has his own garage at Silverstone this weekend 👀
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) July 4, 2023
Filming for his new F1 movie 'Apex' will take place on-site for the first time at the British Grand Prix 🎬 pic.twitter.com/LMykt4PXeu
As for the release date, because filming is beginning in July at the British Grand Prix, it may be some time before it is made available - potentially late 2024 or early 2025.
