‘F1 The Movie’ star Brad Pitt reveals the former F1 driver who inspired Sonny Hayes’ backstory

Brad Pitt has revealed the former driver who inspired his character’s backstory in F1 The Movie, adding he “had the time of my life” working on the project.

Pitt plays Sonny Hayes in the blockbuster film, a former F1 driver who makes his comeback at the fictional APXGP team to partner rookie team mate Joshua Pearce (played by Damson Idris).

Speaking to Beyond The Grid, Pitt confirmed that Martin Donnelly’s near-fatal crash in 1990 during practice for the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez was the inspiration for his character’s backstory.

“We based Sonny’s past on Martin Donnelly’s crash,” said Pitt. “Martin was so gracious to give us his footage and to allow us to build our character around that.

The movie experienced world premieres in both New York and London, as current F1 drivers generally praised the project, with the film available for viewing in cinemas now.

Pitt went on to explain how filming had been achieved, with much of the action captured on real Grand Prix weekends throughout the 2023 and 2024 F1 seasons, while the Hollywood star got behind the wheel at various points.

“We’re coming at it in such awe. My earliest memory is Jackie Stewart in plaid – that’s how far I go back, just being a wee kid,” added Pitt, who was given the chance to drive McLaren’s 2023 car at the Circuit of the Americas last month.

“I miss it. I miss it now. It’s crazy. They let us in, they opened the gates for us. We couldn’t have done it without F1. We couldn’t have done it without the teams and the Team Principals and Lewis [Hamilton], who’s informed so much of our script and really opened the doors for us.”

He added: “We shot in the sim at Mercedes. We shot at Williams. McLaren is our headquarters. Everyone opened the doors for us and in such an amazing way.

“It’s such an audacious idea, and I can’t think of any other film that that’s ever happened. To allow us to embed ourselves into the racing season is something pretty extraordinary. I had the time of my life.”