Brad Pitt took part in a thrilling Formula 1 driving experience during a test session with the McLaren team on Thursday, June 19, at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Texas. This event marked Pitt’s first chance to pilot a real F1 car, highlighting his growing involvement in the sport following the recent premiere of the Formula 1 movie.
At 61 years old, Pitt has become increasingly visible in the F1 world due to his acting and producing role in the recent film about Formula 1. Just days earlier, on June 16, he attended the film’s premiere at Radio City Music Hall in New York City before heading to Texas to take part in the test session.
Details of Brad Pitt’s Drive with McLaren and Lando Norris
According to a report from RacingNews365, Pitt drove the 2023 McLaren MCL60 car as part of the team’s Testing of Previous Car (TPC) programme. During the session, he was accompanied by McLaren’s current driver Lando Norris and junior driver Alex Dunne, all taking part in valuable on-track evaluation work.
Prior to this, Pitt had experience with a specially modified and lower-powered version of an F1 car, which was built for the movie’s filming. The production vehicle was constructed on a Formula 2 chassis and designed to appear like a contemporary F1 car but was not an actual F1 machine. This test at COTA, therefore, represented Pitt’s first real Formula 1 driving experience in a genuine race car.
The MCL60 that Pitt drove is notable for being instrumental in McLaren’s impressive turnaround during the 2023 Formula 1 season. After significant upgrades, McLaren secured nine podium finishes in the latter part of the campaign, signaling a strong resurgence for the storied team.
Brad Pitt Reflects on the Intense Challenge of Driving an F1 Car
Before this test, Brad Pitt expressed his respect for the extreme demands of driving a Formula 1 car. Throughout the filming process, he completed multiple test drives in open-wheel cars to prepare for his role and better understand the sport’s challenges.
In a video shared by Today Show Australia on June 18, Pitt commented on the experience, saying,
“These cars—it’s shocking what they can do. I’ve spent the past few decades getting on a track on a motorcycle, so I understood race lines, braking points, and trail braking to a degree, but nothing compared to what these guys go through. The fact that you can go down a straight at 180 mph and, at an 80-yard marker, get that thing slowed down for a 90-degree right is shocking.” —Brad Pitt, Actor
Driving a Formula 1 car is widely acknowledged as one of the most physically and mentally demanding tasks in motorsport. To accurately portray this in the film, Pitt and co-star Damson Idris completed over 6,000 miles of racing and test drives. This preparation helped them authentically depict the intense effort involved in an F1 driver’s performance.
Significance of This Experience for McLaren and Brad Pitt
Brad Pitt’s firsthand experience behind the wheel of the MCL60 car, alongside Lando Norris and Alex Dunne, demonstrates the close connection between Hollywood and the world of Formula 1 fostered by the recent film project. For McLaren, the test session allowed the team to continue valuable evaluation work on their 2023 challenger, which was critical to their late-season successes.
For Pitt, driving a genuine McLaren F1 car elevates his understanding and appreciation of the sport beyond acting, potentially deepening his involvement with racing culture. The insights gained from this session may influence future projects or collaborations centered around Formula 1 events and personalities.