Watch Brad Pitt Burn Rubber in ‘F1'

New York Times

a day ago

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While the racing is as swift as the camerawork in 'F1,' this particular scene is built on a pause. That moment of stasis takes place during the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2023. Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt), a veteran driver, has been recruited by the owner of a floundering Formula One team. And Sonny's style is at odds with that of his team principal, Kaspar Smolinski, (Kim Bodnia). Here, Sonny loses a tire and needs to go into the pit.
'So much of the strategy is built around tire compounds,' the film's director, Joseph Kosinski, said during an interview in New York. 'And at this particular race in Hungary, which tends to be a very hot race, you want a harder tire compound that's going to last more laps.'
'But Sonny has a different plan in mind,' Kosinski continued, 'which is to try to create a safety car situation. And in order to have as much control and grip as possible, he's asking for a soft tire because he knows he's going to only need it for a lap or two anyway.'
Sonny asks for the soft tires as he pulls into the pit, but Kaspar insists on hard ones. When the soft tires are put on, Sonny won't move, creating the scene's most tense moment of conflict.
'You get to see the two forces coming together: the team principal, who wants to stick with the plan they all discussed, and Sonny Hayes coming in with a plan of his own that he hasn't shared with anyone, and it makes for this great scene between Brad Pitt and Kim Bodnia.'
Read the 'F1' review.
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