Lewis Hamilton will work with movie star Brad Pitt on a new movie as Hollywood looks to cash in on Formula 1 's recent popularity bump.
A new project, recently purchased by Apple Studios, will see a racing movie created, starring Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood actor Pitt in the lead role. The movie will be directed by Joseph Kosinski, who counts Top Gun: Maverick among his recent works.
According to Deadline, Hamilton has been recruited to serve as a producer alongside the likes of TV and film legend Jerry Bruckheimer and Plan B – Pitt's own production company. The Mercedes racer will be able to use his own experience and knowledge of the sport to help make the movie more realistic.
The script for the film, written by Top Gun's Ehren Kruger, will see Pitt playing an ageing driver who comes out of retirement for one last shot at F1 glory. His character will also have the task of mentoring a younger team-mate as they find their feet in a demanding and cut-throat sport.
Hamilton is no stranger to Hollywood, having played cameo roles in Pixar's Cars series in the past, while he also made an appearance in the Ben Stiller comedy Zoolander 2.
He has also in the past hinted at making a career in movie-making a significant part of his work once he retires from F1.
But for now his focus will solely be on helping Mercedes to improved their performances this season after a less-than-convincing start. Next up is the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, with the Silver Arrows expecting a challenging time once again when they take to the streets of Baku.
Team-mate George Russell admitted as much when he revealed that improvements made over the past week will not likely have too much of an affect on the team's fortunes. He believes Mercedes might be closer to the likes of Red Bull and Ferrari, though still unable to truly compete with them for pace and performance.
"[The car] definitely will be more suited, but I don't think it's going to transform our finishing position," Russell told Planet F1. "Around Monaco we were six tenths behind, and in Baku we will probably be three tenths behind the front runners we hope, for the best case."
