First look: Brad’s APXGP is out of the Pitt at Silverstone

Michelle Foster 06 Jul 2023 11:30 AM

Brad Pitt at the United States GP. Austin October 2022.

Brad Pitt’s black and gold APXGP made its on-track debut at Silverstone on Thursday as filming began for his F1 movie, rumoured to be called ‘Apex’.

It’s been known for a while that Pitt’s movie will use the British Grand Prix venue as one of its filming locations with that beginning on Thursday with the car’s first on-track laps.

Setting up a full garage for ‘Sonny Hayes’ and ‘Joshua Pearce’, the characters played by Pitt and British actor Damson Idris, there’s also space on the pit wall for the fictional team.

Brad Pitt’s black and gold APXGP

The plot for the movie is for Pitt’s character, an ageing F1 veteran to return to the grid for one final season whilst mentoring a young rookie driver, Pearce.

Sonny Hayes and Joshua Pearce’s race garages for this weekend.#F1clearly don’t think Kimi Raikkonen or Nikita Mazepin are coming back…#BritishGP pic.twitter.com/AEfEdTXZON

— Thomas Maher (@thomasmaheronf1)July 6, 2023

Formula 1 was given its first look at the car on Thursday, although it’s not yet known who was behind the wheel at the time.

It’s a Formula 2 car that has been modified by Mercedes to more closely resemble a modern F1 machine while also accommodating film cameras.

Up-close and personal with APXGP#F1 pic.twitter.com/o5AvJHykoM

— Formula 1 (@F1)July 6, 2023

The film is co-produced by seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton and headed up by legendary producer Jerry Bruckheimer, the man responsible for the Top Gun films.

McLaren chief Zak Brown believes the movie is yet another sign of F1’s growing popularity.

FIRST LOOK: Introducing APXGP, starring in an Apple Original Film#F1 pic.twitter.com/0qDe3zMicp

— Formula 1 (@F1)July 6, 2023

“I think definitely [it will have a big impact],” he said. “I think we all wanted to be a pilot after watching Top Gun and I think it will have the same impact on the audience, it’s a lot of the same producers.

“It’s a massive production and I think it will get a lot of current fans excited but I think a lot of people who don’t follow the sport will see it and think it’s unbelievable.

“I think the technology they’re going to use will make it a racing movie unlike anything we’ve ever seen in the past as far as it’s realism and it will be another shot in the arm for Formula 1 worldwide and motor racing as a whole.”