A single costume fitting with Brad Pitt proved to be one of the most consequential creative moments within the making of the F1 movie, as it not only decided on the aesthetic of Pitt's character, but also of the whole production.
Julian Day, the movie's costume designer, was confronted with quite the challenge: to create a team that not only looked authentic, but one that also looked distinctive enough to lead the movie. And what he came up with was almost stumbled upon by accident.
“One day, we were doing a fitting with Brad, and we were struggling to agree on a team colour," he said via an interview with F1.com. "Then I suddenly remembered that I had brought in this sort of silvery white/grey suit, and everybody looked at it and went, ‘Yes, this is the one.’”
This decision shaped the team's look, but Day was keen not to fall into the obvious trap. “If you go too black, it feels a bit Darth Vader-esque,” he explained. On top of this, he had to design the costumes with realistic levels of branding.
“If a sponsor's logo is two millimetres larger on a racing suit, they'll give you another £100,000, or if the logo is too small or in the wrong place, then you're in trouble.”
To ensure a high level of accuracy, Mercedes invited him behind the scenes. Few experiences can offer the same insight as seeing how an eight-time constructors' champion operates from the inside.
“I was invited to the Mercedes headquarters to see what they did, and they were very helpful from the beginning, and obviously they use black and white in their uniforms, and we just thought it was perfect.”
The crew also complied with modern safety standards - a necessity forced upon them by the fact they were actually driving at high speed in modified Formula 2 cars.
“I ended up having to order the pit crew uniforms from OMP again, which meant they got the latest fabrics. The fabric these days is so thin, it's almost like shirt material, but completely fireproof.”
He added, “We had to make sure that the visor of the helmet was large enough so the camera could catch the eyes, but it also had to be safe to use.
"We were also conscious of the fact that racing helmets are very tight and can squeeze your cheeks like a hamster, so we had to sort that out!”
This obsession with detail became a theme throughout filming.
“It's all in the minutiae – the details that you don't think about while watching the movie.” Even the team’s supporters were carefully constructed. “We produced a whole load of merchandise, and we handed it out at the races.”
“So, when the actors would be doing post-race interviews and post-qualifying interviews, we'd dress people around them in APXGP caps and T-shirts to look like fans.” As the fictional team’s fortunes improved, so did its following. “Obviously, APXGP are nothing as a team when the film starts, so as they gradually win more races and do better and better, we gave them more fans.”
Production for the movie coincided with real Formula 1 seasons with a level of access that had never been seen before. This allowed the fictional drivers to line up beside the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.
“I don't think a film that integrates into a sport in the way we did will ever happen again.
"It's quite extraordinary what they managed to do, to jimmy themselves into the F1 schedule like that.”
Ultimately, he wanted to help produce a movie that offered as much realism as possible. He knew that fans would be watching, and that total immersion was key.
“Because it's such a vast world, you have the race team, but also the paddock and the larger crowds.”
“I tried to include every small detail in the process so that no detail stands out.” He concluded: “Hopefully, all the details work together to create the overall look of the film.”
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