Lewis Hamilton denied Brad Pitt chance to be F1 world champion

brad pitt, lewis hamilton, ferrari, apx gp, silverstone, f1 movie — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 Off the Track

Lewis Hamilton denied Brad Pitt chance to be F1 world champion

Things could have been very different for Brad Pitt if Lewis Hamilton hadn't stepped in

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Monday 27 October 2025 22:59

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has revealed how Lewis Hamilton denied Brad Pitt the chance to become an F1 world champion.

Wolff and Hamilton worked closely together at Mercedes across the glory years of the British icon's career, during which he picked up six of his seven drivers' titles with the Silver Arrows.

His championship success is just one of many reasons that Hamilton has now cemented himself as a legend of the sport, but his reach also extends into activism, the fashion industry and popular culture.

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The 40-year-old has now also dipped his toe in the film industry, having set up his own production company, Dawn Apollo, in 2022.

Both Hamilton and his production company were both heavily involved in this summer's blockbuster hit F1 in which A-list actor Pitt played has-been racer, Sonny Hayes.

But Wolff has revealed that what eventually graced our screens as a tale of a motor racing underdog initially had Pitt set up for championship glory.

Pitt 'not impressed' by Hamilton age comment

Hamilton played an instrumental role in ensuring the F1 movie was believable yet entertaining to audiences, but it seems his commitment to realism put him in Pitt's bad books at times.

Speaking in a recent interview with Joe Pompliano, Hamilton's former F1 boss revealed: "The initial concept was him [Pitt] being a driver and fighting for a world championship. And then Lewis said, 'that's not gonna go. You're much too old for a Formula 1 driver.' And Brad was not impressed by it.

"He said that he was in his prime to be a Formula 1 driver. And how they adapted the script was fantastic, because it was credible. His role was credible."

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