Since Formula 1 became part of the entertainment industry via Drive to Survive, new opportunities have come their way. The show has made the sport extremely popular around the globe. Riding on the current wave of popularity, the number of races, venues, and marketing opportunities has increased 10 fold. This added interest also roped tech giant Apple with a whopping $300 million investment into a movie. The highly anticipated Brad Pitt starter and Lewis Hamilton-produced project finally has some positive updates now.
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali gave a positive update about the film on the 2046 podcast. When asked about the progress he revealed, “Very good in the sense that last year we had a period of blackout linked to strikes in the world of Hollywood authors and actors. However, filming has restarted and therefore the aim of finishing it this year. Launch the film, let’s say (between), the beginning of summer (or) before the beginning of next year.” (Translated via Google)
The mega F1 movie project might be on the big screens before the end of the year. With Lewis Hamilton, part of it, there is plenty of excitement. The 7x champion is lending his valuable expertise to the project as an associate producer. Rumored to be called Apex F1, the star of the show is Brad Pitt who is a driver for the APEXGP team. Apart from him the director of Top Gun: Maverick Joseph Kosinski is part of the roster.
These are exciting times for all F1 fans as the sport is becoming a major source of entertainment across the globe. The stakeholders are doing everything to capitalize on this recent change. However, the sport was popular even before the age of social media.
Stefano Domenicali talks about F1’s popularity before the age of social media
Perhaps at its peak at the moment, Formula 1 has been one of the most watched and followed motorsport competitions in the world for decades now. Social media might’ve spread the word, but the allure of the pinnacle of motorsport was always present. Back in the day, the popularity was driven by the star attractions: the drivers.
Stefano Deomenicali said, “Our sport is a technological sport. But if you don’t have people who make the difference. Who become examples and who become I don’t want to exaggerate, gladiators. Where you identify it’s clear that it becomes a sport that loses the impetus to the passion.”
The perfect example of these ‘gladiators’ in modern-day F1 are Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, and Max Verstappen. Back in the day, it was the likes of Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna. These drivers single-handedly drive thousands to the track and attract millions to the sport. So with the new age of social media truly helping, the allure was always there.
