The Filming of the Formula 1 movie starring Brad Pitt is taking place at Daytona International Speedway during the Rolex 24 and the Roar Before the 24.
Production teams for the upcoming Formula 1 movie starring Brad Pitt and co-produced by Lewis Hamilton have positioned themselves at Daytona for IMSA’s Roar Before The 24 as the endurance race is set to take place next week.
Action involving actual IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship cars will be featured in the movie as the cars from Turner Motorsports and Wright Motorsports have been included in the filming.
Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Top Gun’s Joseph Kosinski, the yet to be named Hollywood movie is based on a Formula 1 storyline that centers on Pitt’s character as veteran driver Sonny Hayes, who comes out of retirement to assist rookie F1 driver Joshua Pears, played by Damson Idris.
Lewis Hamilton is expected to appear on screen and serves as a producer through his Dawn Apollo Films.
Production teams for the movie worked alongside real-life Formula 1 drivers at multiple Grands Prix over the last season. Now, it appears that the plot will also collaborate with IMSA, with Daytona serving as the backdrop.
According to the film, Chip Hart Racing team will enter the 992-shape #120 Porsche 911 GT3 R. The fictional Racing team, which in reality runs as Wright Motorsports with Adam Adelson, Elliott Skeer, Jan Heylen and Frederic Makowiecki as the drivers, will be the focus of the Daytona shoot.
However, their names are not on the car, which is sponsored by Peak antifreeze and Geico insurance and instead features Sonny Hayes, C Kelso and former Porsche racer Patrick Long.
Wright’s drivers have been spotted wearing suits that are exact replicas of their own, but with “Hayes” sewed in place of their names. Wright driver Elliot Skeer was asked to take a break from his Media Day duties on Wednesday in order to take the wheel on a day with no any scheduled on-track activities.
Alongside the car parked next to Wright’s actual entry, there are at least two other cars with the same shades of blue livery, one of which is designed to appear as though it has been through a full day of racing.
A spare set of Turner Motorsports BMW M4 GT3s and a Lola B2K/10 prototype with a camera rig at the back are among the other vehicles used in the filming that are strewn across the paddock.
The 62nd running of the Rolex 24 will begin with the most iconic words in motorsports, delivered by none other than Bruckheimer himself grand marshaling the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season opener at Daytona.
“Jerry Bruckheimer has produced some of the most entertaining and action-packed movies and shows of the past several decades,” said Daytona International Speedway President Frank Kelleher.
“Whether he featured fast cars, high-flying jets, or frantic foot races, his work reflects the energy we’ll see in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, making him the perfect grand marshal for this year’s race.”
Bruckheimer added: “Daytona International Speedway is an iconic venue and it’s going to be an honor to give the command for the Rolex 24 At Daytona.
“I’ve been here for the biggest NASCAR race and now I can’t wait to experience one of the most prestigious sports car races in the world.”
