Zak Brown couldn’t resist the jab. “I think Brad’s a better actor than racing driver,” the McLaren Racing CEO smiled to Sky Sports F1. But the punchline came with a pat on the back: “He did a very good job.”
On June 19, Brad Pitt finally got his hands on a modern McLaren Formula 1 car, the 2023 MCL60, during a Testing Previous Cars day at Circuit of The Americas. For the man who’s spent the last two years living in fireproofs for F1: The Movie, it felt like a curtain call — one last hit of downforce before the credits roll.
Pitt’s homework for the film wasn’t pretend. He and co-star Damson Idris logged thousands of miles in a modified Formula 2 car dressed up as an F1 machine, sneaking out for 10-minute runs at Grands Prix around the world to capture those cockpit shots. “They said we put 6,000 miles in the car over the year and a half of filming, or two years plus training,” Pitt said. “They paid me — how did I get away with that one?”
If there were any doubts about his seriousness, the McLaren day eased them. Pitt sat in on briefings, soaked up procedures, and wanted to see the data afterward. Martin Brundle, who shared the outing and knows his way around just about anything with wings and slicks, was impressed. “He was good, he was solid out there,” Brundle said. “It’s not easy to just jump in… He didn’t crash it.” High praise, with a wink: “It was my 73rd F1 car; it was his first.”
Pitt, predictably, was chasing a number. “I got to hit 197 mph this week,” he said on Beyond the Grid. “I really wanted to hit 200… three miles per hour short on the straight!” The speed was almost secondary to the sensation. He tried to frame it — rollercoaster? aerobatic plane? — and shrugged. None of it quite captured that feeling of the car pinning itself into the asphalt, of the fulcrum moving under you through a fast corner. “You’re just in this sublime groove… It’s such a unique feeling and an absolute high.”
He thanked McLaren and spent time with Lando Norris in the garage, remaining very much the committed student rather than the cameo tourist. And yes, Brown’s quip landed because it’s true: Pitt still makes a better living on a red carpet than a timing screen. But for a first taste of real F1 machinery? No drama, no off-track excursions, and an appetite for telemetry. That’s more than most can claim.
Filming’s wrapped, the paddock appearances are cooling, and the sequel talk is already percolating. If it happens, Pitt’s got the bug — and the data traces — to pick up right where he left off.
