‘You can’t make this up’: Brad Pitt slammed for F1 podium act
F1 fans have taken aim at Brad Pitt after the Hollywood star took over the season finale and rubbed salt in the wound for a beloved driver.
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The F1 season has been run and won, but perhaps no one was happier to be trackside for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix than Brad Pitt.
The Hollywood star has been a fixture of the F1 paddock for the last 18 months since he took the F1 world by surprise by popping up with his own garage at last year’s British Grand Prix.
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Pitt and his co-star Damon Idris were the talk of Silverstone that weekend and have been at several race weekends this year filming their racing movie, simply titled F1.
It’s a collaboration between F1 and Apple TV, with the plot centred around a former driver who comes out of retirement to help mentor a younger driver and try win a championship.
Earlier on the weekend, Pitt was spotted posing for photos with Ferrari and Alpine, which ruffled some fans of Esteban Ocon given the Frenchman’s abrupt exit from Alpine.
Pitt was on the track pre-race and shook hands with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
But fans felt most for Charles Leclerc, who drove the race of his life, gaining 16 places after a grid penalty (for replacing his car’s energy store) meant he had to start from the back of the grid.
Leclerc produced one of the best drives of the season to finish third behind race winner Lando Norris and teammate Carlos Sainz.
But the double podium wasn’t enough for Ferrari, who fell just 14 points short of McLaren in the world constructors championship as the battle for the lucrative prize went down to the wire.
It was a heart-in-mouth race for McLaren after Max Verstappen collided with Oscar Piastri and spun him off the track in the early stages.
The Australian recovered to finish 10th and McLaren claimed the constructors championship for the first time since 1998. Piastri is just the fourth drive in F1 history to complete every lap in a season.
Leclerc was gutted Ferrari couldn’t get the job done in Sainz’s last race in red before he heads to Williams next year, making way for Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari.
“It hurts a lot, I really wish we could have won also for the last season with Carlos,” Leclerc said in an emotional radio message.
“It’s been an absolute pleasure to work with him and I wish him the best and thank you again for everything and I’m sorry today wasn’t enough.”
Leclerc and Sainz flanked Norris on the podium as the Brit celebrated his fourth victory of the year that sealed McLaren the constructors title, believed to be worth around USD$140 million (A$219 million).
Leclerc, and George Russell, who finished fifth in Abu Dhabi, were made to get on the podium with Pitt and spray champagne as they filmed various different endings to the movie.
Pitt, wearing a white driver jumpsuit, plays a character called Sonny Hayes, whose name flashed up on the podium screen. To Leclerc’s credit, he completed the filming with a smile on his face.
Academy Award winner Javier Bardem, who stars in the movie, was also on the podium screaming in Pitt’s face and spraying champagne.
But F1 fans weren’t too impressed Leclerc had to front up for a fake podium after he poured his heart and soul into trying to drag Ferrari over the line.
One fan wrote on X: “Charles, absolutely depressed after the loss of wcc, having to go back on the podium and act for the movie, DOING MULTIPLE TAKES on the scene. you cant make this up.”
A second said: “Imagine you’re CHARLES LECLERC and your team just lost WCC and your teammate just LEFT and you also lost p2 in WDC and they’re making you ACT with Brad Pitt.”
A third commented “guys this F1 movie shooting is TOO FUNNY” and another said “Brad Pitt is the REAL winner of the Abu Dhabi GP”.
Pitt was beaming as he told Sky Sports’ Ted Kravitz about the experiencing of filming at F1 race weekends.
“It’s been incredible that F1 and all the teams have put up with us and let us embed ourselves in the race week,” the 62-year-old said.
“I remember a year and a half ago, I was a little bit hesitant, didn’t want to get in anyone’s way, now I’m just like, ‘we’re at work’.
“Joe Kosinkski the director, his idea was put actors in the car, embed ourselves in the race weekend and make the most authentic racing film to date. And dare say I think we’ve done it.”
Pitt even asked Kravitz: “You want in? A little cameo?”, but the F1 pit lane reporter replied: “No, I’m cool doing what I’m doing.”
Pitt shared his interview with Kravitz on his X account and wrote: “There’s no place quite like the track under this sun. Abu Dhabi gave us the perfect stage for our ultimate chapter. this isn’t just film, it’s fuel for the soul.”
The F1 movie is set to be released in cinemas in June 2025.
Originally published as ‘You can’t make this up’: Brad Pitt slammed for F1 podium act
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