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Scottish Sun
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Max Verstappen reveals why he snubbed Lewis Hamilton's F1 film red carpet in favour of changing smelly nappies
The reigning world champ revealed what his next goal in motorsport is FAMILY MAN Max Verstappen reveals why he snubbed Lewis Hamilton's F1 film red carpet in favour of changing smelly nappies MAX VERSTAPPEN would rather be changing nappies at home than wearing a tuxedo on the red carpet. They certainly don't make 'em like four-time world champion Verstappen anymore, who has been as real as they get this season in the world's most luxurious sport. 6 Max Verstappen ditched the F1 movie premiere to be with his family Credit: AP 6 Verstappen recently welcomed a baby girl with his partner, Kelly Piquet Credit: Getty 6 Lewis Hamilton was among the superstars at the European premiere in London Credit: Getty The Dutchman has swerved two red carpets for Lewis Hamilton's new Hollywood movie, starring Brad Pitt, and has not even watched the film yet. He would rather be on dad duties with his two-month old baby Lily, enduring sleepless nights and changing nappies which he admits: 'Some are more smelly than others'. Verstappen has also been dipping his toes in other areas of motorsport, like testing a GT3 in Spa during the first F1 movie premiere in New York as his patience continues to wear thin in F1. He is focused on his growing family of girlfriend, Kelly, the daughter of former F1 world champion Nelson Piquet, their daughter Lily and his step daughter Penelope, who are based in Monaco. READ MORE ON F1 I'VE GOT LEW Hamilton gives F1 rival lift on his private jet after he was booked on EasyJet Verstappen, at the Red Bull Ring ahead of his team's home race in Austria, told SunSport: 'Being authentic is not something I have to try and focus on. It's just who I am. 'I don't like to be on the red carpet and dress up in a suit. I don't like to interact with people that I don't really know, and have a fake smile and fake chat. It's horrible, I just don't enjoy it. 'I prefer to hang out with my friends and spend time with my little family. I also have a lot of other projects going on outside of F1. 'So any extra work like red carpets is not what I want to do. I'm at a stage of my career where I've achieved so much professionally. CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS 'I'm just focusing outside of it now, like my big passions to make life more enjoyable and not just being performance driven.' Verstappen is fiercely private when it comes to his family but when asked about his being a girl dad, he added: 'It's super cute. I'm trying to spend as much time making it all work. Max Verstappen goes for a spin around the upgraded F1 circuit at Zandvoort 6 Verstappen has been cherishing time with his daughter, Lily Credit: Instagram 'With the nappies, some are more smelly than others!' Verstappen rose to fame as something of a villain due to Netflix's hit docu-series Drive to Survive. It didn't help that his route to his first world championship title in Abu Dhabi in 2021 was tarnished by a safety car mishap which many felt stole the crown from Lewis Hamilton. There is also a dark side there, which was on show at the Spanish Grand Prix three-weeks ago when he rammed into George Russell to leave him one point away from a race ban. But he has won over more hearts than ever in recent years, being unapologetically himself and unafraid to stand up to the sport's governing body, the FIA, and its controversial president Mohammed Ben Sulayem. He even won over his old rival Hamilton when he was ordered to do community service for dropping an F-bomb in an FIA press conference last year. He has remained tight-lipped in press conferences this season, but his silence has spoken volumes for the dissatisfaction from most drivers towards the FIA's rules. He said: 'I think it's a bit of a Dutch thing. I'm straightforward. I'm the same on track. I say the same in the paddock as I do with my friends. It's important to be honest. 'When I'm not happy with something I say it, I let people know, that approach works really well for me.' There has been constant speculation surrounding Verstappen's future with him growing increasingly exasperated with the FIA and the slog of marketing requirements for drivers. After all he is the centrepiece of a sport stacked with millionaires flashing their cash, designer outfits and superyachts - but Verstappen just loves to burn rubber. 6 Verstappen spoke to SunSport's Isabelle Barker this week Credit: The Sun The Dutchman would rather avoid the spotlight entirely, so much so that he recently used a fake name Franz Hermann to secretly test a Ferrari at the Nurburgring where he smashed a lap record. Verstappen's next goal is securing a Nordschleife permit, a special racing license, to compete in events at the Nurburgring, including the Nurburgring 24 Hours, rather than chasing records in F1. There has been talk of Verstappen taking a year off in 2026 and he says it is outside ventures like the Nurburgring appearance that are keeping him in F1, for now. He added: 'The fake name was because I wouldn't be on the entry list. People would have known way far in advance and there would be way more people there. 'What I'm doing outside F1 makes me stay around a bit longer in F1. I'm trying to make it work and keep it fun. 'I want to get my license (Nordschleife permit), so I need to do a race in a slower car so I'm planning on that. 'When you do things outside of F1, it's more relaxed, which doesn't mean it's less professional and my desire to win is the same. It's something I really enjoy exploring. 'It's important to enjoy my time. Time passes so quickly and I want to look back and be around for my family.'
The Irish Sun
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Max Verstappen reveals why he snubbed Lewis Hamilton's F1 film red carpet in favour of changing smelly nappies
MAX VERSTAPPEN would rather be changing nappies at home than wearing a tuxedo on the red carpet. They certainly don't make 'em like four-time world champion 6 Max Verstappen ditched the F1 movie premiere to be with his family Credit: AP 6 Verstappen recently welcomed a baby girl with his partner, Kelly Piquet Credit: Getty 6 Lewis Hamilton was among the superstars at the European premiere in London Credit: Getty The Dutchman has swerved two He would rather be on dad duties with his two-month old baby Lily, enduring sleepless nights and changing nappies which he admits: 'Some are more smelly than others'. Verstappen has also been dipping his toes in other areas of motorsport, like testing a GT3 in Spa during the first F1 movie premiere in New York as his patience continues to wear thin in F1. He is focused on his growing family of girlfriend, READ MORE ON F1 Verstappen, at the Red Bull Ring ahead of his team's home race in Austria, told SunSport: 'Being authentic is not something I have to try and focus on. It's just who I am. 'I don't like to be on the red carpet and dress up in a suit. I don't like to interact with people that I don't really know, and have a fake smile and fake chat. It's horrible, I just don't enjoy it. 'I prefer to hang out with my friends and spend time with my little family. I also have a lot of other projects going on outside of F1. 'So any extra work like red carpets is not what I want to do. I'm at a stage of my career where I've achieved so much professionally. Most read in Motorsport CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS 'I'm just focusing outside of it now, like my big passions to make life more enjoyable and not just being performance driven.' Verstappen is fiercely private when it comes to his family but when asked about his being a girl dad, he added: 'It's super cute. I'm trying to spend as much time making it all work. Max Verstappen goes for a spin around the upgraded F1 circuit at Zandvoort 6 Verstappen has been cherishing time with his daughter, Lily Credit: Instagram 'With the nappies, some are more smelly than others!' Verstappen rose to fame as something of a villain due to Netflix's hit docu-series Drive to Survive. It didn't help that his route to his There is also a dark side there, which was on show at the Spanish Grand Prix three-weeks ago when he But he has won over more hearts than ever in recent years, being unapologetically himself and unafraid to stand up to the sport's governing body, the FIA, and its controversial president Mohammed Ben Sulayem. He even won over his old rival Hamilton when he was ordered to do community service for dropping an F-bomb in an FIA press conference last year. He has remained tight-lipped in press conferences this season, but his silence has spoken volumes for the dissatisfaction from most drivers towards the FIA's rules. He said: 'I think it's a bit of a Dutch thing. I'm straightforward. I'm the same on track. I say the same in the paddock as I do with my friends. It's important to be honest. 'When I'm not happy with something I say it, I let people know, that approach works really well for me.' There has been constant speculation surrounding Verstappen's future with him growing increasingly exasperated with the FIA and the slog of marketing requirements for drivers. After all he is the centrepiece of a sport stacked with millionaires flashing their cash, designer outfits and superyachts - but Verstappen just loves to burn rubber. 6 Verstappen spoke to SunSport's Isabelle Barker this week Credit: The Sun The Dutchman would rather avoid the spotlight entirely, so much so that he recently used a fake name Franz Hermann to secretly test a Ferrari at the Nurburgring where he smashed a lap record. Verstappen's next goal is securing a Nordschleife permit, a special racing license, to compete in events at the Nurburgring, including the Nurburgring 24 Hours, rather than chasing records in F1. There has been talk of Verstappen taking a year off in 2026 and he says it is outside ventures like the Nurburgring appearance that are keeping him in F1, for now. He added: 'The fake name was because I wouldn't be on the entry list. People would have known way far in advance and there would be way more people there. 'What I'm doing outside F1 makes me stay around a bit longer in F1. I'm trying to make it work and keep it fun. 'I want to get my license (Nordschleife permit), so I need to do a race in a slower car so I'm planning on that. 'When you do things outside of F1, it's more relaxed, which doesn't mean it's less professional and my desire to win is the same. It's something I really enjoy exploring. 'It's important to enjoy my time. Time passes so quickly and I want to look back and be around for my family.' 6 The Dutchman has his sights set on securing a Nordschleife permit Credit: Getty
Vogue Singapore
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Vogue Singapore
'It was like theatre on steroids': Tobias Menzies on starring in thrilling blockbuster F1
With the booming popularity of Formula One and the skyrocketing attention on the world of motorsport , there's no surprise that one of this summer's most anticipated films comes in the form of a racing blockbuster. The film follows Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt), once F1's most promising driver and now a washed up racer-for-hire, who finds himself back on the track when an unusual opportunity presents itself. Alongside talented but overconfident rookie Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), the two must put their egos aside as the road to redemption is not one you can travel alone. Tobias Menzies, famed for portraying iconic characters on The Crown , Outlander, and Game of Thrones , now takes on the role of Peter Banning, Oxford-educated venture capitalist and member of APXGP's board of directors. 'The ingredients of the film—the amazing cast and crew—and the ambition of the project was what made me interested in getting involved,' Menzies reflects. Directed by Joseph Kosinski of Top Gun: Maverick and in close collaboration with seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton , F1 guarantees a thrilling ride for fans and cinephiles alike. On the eve of the film's global release, Menzies sits down with Vogue Singapore to chat about his role as the surreptitious Peter Banning, working alongside Brad Pitt and Javier Bardem, and all things F1. Tobias Menzies plays Peter Banning, investor and board member of APXGP in F1 . Courtesy of Warner Bros. Were you a fan of Formula One prior to working on this film? Honestly I wasn't, I didn't know much about the sport. A bit like the character I portray in the film, I had to play catch-up. So how did you get acquainted with the world of F1? Did you binge all of Drive to Survive like your character did? Yes, I watched quite a lot of Drive to Survive. One of the really helpful things about how we shot the film was that we were shooting at actual Grand Prix's. We were immersed in the world of Formula One, which made our jobs much easier. Tell us a little about your role. What was it like stepping into the shoes of Peter Banning? Peter Banning is an investor in Javier Bardem's race team APXGP, his right-hand man, his eyes and ears on the board. He represents the financial machinations that are involved in the sport, which is obviously very expensive and has a lot of money at stake. When discussing the role, I suggested we make him slightly more gullible, someone who appears to know nothing about the sport and is just a money guy. Without giving too much away, by the end of the film you realise he isn't quite all that he seems. Tobias Menzies and Javier Bardem in F1 . Courtesy of Warner Bros. What was it like working with Brad Pitt and Javier Bardem? I've grown up watching both of them, their remarkable experience in screen acting—particularly movie acting—which is something I've done the least of. It was very interesting to see how they operate around a camera, how they manage their energy on set everyday. I learned a lot. The film was shot at racing circuits all around the world. What was the most memorable location you filmed at? There's a song lyric that says the first cut is the deepest, and that rung very true for me. The first day of filming was on the grid at Silverstone, ten minutes before the actual race was starting. We had seven, eight minutes to shoot a scene with the real grid in front of us and the real crowd beside us. You certainly didn't want to be the person who forgot your lines or dropped the ball. It was sort of like theatre on steroids—a very memorable way to start. What was it like filming during actual race weekends? To be honest, it was hard. I think Joe's instinct was that there was no way of replicating the atmosphere and the vividness of the circus that Formula One is. So whenever he could, he embedded this multimillion dollar film unit inside these weekends—in the rooms, on the grid, in the paddock club, in the pit lane, etc. It was this weird mixture of a big studio film shot almost like an indie film, with often very small units and having to fit in something we weren't in control of. It lent an incredible fleet-footedness and almost improvisatory quality on how we were shooting, which I feel gives the film a real energy. Brad Pitt, Javier Bardem and Tobias Menzies filming on the grid of Silverstone. @f1 You've played many iconic roles over the years—Jonathan Randall in Outlander, Prince Philip in The Crown, Edmure Tully in Game of Thrones—how do you think they would fare in the world of F1? Would they be a driver, a team principal, or a team owner? Phillip as a young man would fancy himself as a driver, though he may be a bit tall. I imagine Phillip would be drawn to the speed. Jonathan Randall is interested in power so maybe he'd like to be a team principal—he'd like to run the show. And Edmure Tully, I don't know where he would fit in. Perhaps he would be a bit like Banning in the beginning of the film, a sort of hapless investor. You've done period dramas, historical fantasy, now a huge blockbuster film—is there a genre you'd like to explore next? I've never had a very clear idea about genre, for me it's always about scripts, always about the words. I'm quite open-minded about genre and roles, be it antagonists or heroes. But [this project] gave me a taste for doing more film. I really enjoyed working on this scale, and I'd be interested in doing some more of them. F1 is in cinemas now.
Time of India
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Lewis Hamilton on 'F1' starring Brad Pitt: 'It is as authentic a racing movie as ever been'
The engines are roaring louder than ever as the creative team behind Top Gun: Maverick flag off F1: The Movie, the highly anticipated racing drama starring Brad Pitt and directed by Joseph Kosinski . Backed by an all-star production team that includes Jerry Bruckheimer, Kosinski, Pitt himself, and seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton, the film promises a cinematic spectacle rooted in real speed and raw emotion. 'At the heart of it, the focus has been to make sure that it is as authentic a racing movie as ever been,' says Hamilton, who not only produces the film but was also instrumental in shaping its real-world accuracy. 'From the beginning, Joe and Jerry talked about how important the authenticity is—not only for the new fans that we'll gain from this movie, but for old fans like myself, who have grown up with it since we were walking. ' Ahed of the premiere, Hamilton took to his Instagram handle to write, "Four years in the making—what a journey it's been. I'm incredibly grateful to everyone at Apple and Warner Bros. for believing in us and partnering with such heart and vision. To Joe and Jerry—thank you. I've learned so much from both of you, and it's truly been an honour to work alongside you." Sharing a photo of himself on the racing track with Pitt, he wrote, "These were taken on our very first day on track, with Brad at Silverstone looking into Copse Corner. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like USDJPY đang đi lên không? IC Markets Đăng ký Undo What a moment. One of those memories that stick with you." "We've poured everything we have into this film. I really hope you'll feel that when you watch it. We gave it our all and we can't wait for you to see it. Go check it out as soon as you can, it's out today in the UK and out in the US on Friday. Hope you love it," he concluded. Shot during real Grand Prix weekends alongside actual F1 teams, F1 follows the fictional comeback story of Sonny Hayes, played by Pitt. Director Joseph Kosinski revealed the inspiration behind the film's concept and shared, 'What really struck me about Drive to Survive was that it focused not on the most famous names and teams, but on the ones fighting just to survive—that was a story ripe for the big screen.' Kosinski also credited Hamilton's early involvement as a turning point. 'I happen to have the email of Lewis Hamilton,' he recalled. 'I sent an email just saying, 'I want to make a film in this world. I want it to be the most authentic racing film ever. Would you be interested in helping me to do that?' And he said yes.' Dubbed 'the greatest that never was,' F1 tells a timeless story of Hayes, once hailed as F1's most promising driver in the 1990s, he vanished from the circuit after a career-threatening crash. Three decades later, he's a globe-trotting, down-on-his-luck racer-for-hire—until his former teammate Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem), now the owner of a struggling F1 team, pulls him back into the fast lane. Hayes must now mentor the team's new star, Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), a rising rookie with a lot to prove. But as the championship season heats up, old rivalries and personal demons threaten to derail Sonny's return and the team's survival. The film also stars Kerry Condon , Tobias Menzies, and Kim Bodnia in pivotal roles.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Brad Pitt's Formula 1 racing movie debuts Friday. Can it help bring the sport to new heights?
It's a huge week for Formula One, but the action isn't on the racetrack. 'F1: The Movie' premieres in the US this Friday, June 27. The blockbuster $250 million production backed by Apple (AAPL) and distributed by Warner Bros. (WBD) aims for glory in the highly competitive summer blockbuster space. The movie is tracking well for a strong opening box office, per Hollywood insiders. The film is based on a tried-but-true formula (forgive the pun). Fictional aging racer Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) is brought on to an upstart team to help guide its rookie driver, but along the way he comes face to face with his own personal demons, and of course redemption. But that's the boring part. What has everyone, or at least car buffs, salivating is the access the filmmakers had to the sport: filming at real races using real F1 cars and technology, embedding themselves in the sport, and capturing footage that brings the viewer right into the driver's seat. A movie like this, especially with a big focus on the US audience, would have been a surprise only a few years ago. Part of this is because F1 — considered the most technically advanced, and glamorous, racing league — is finally growing in the US. In 2024, the sport reached about 30 million viewers across ESPN (DIS) platforms, with an average of 1.1 million viewers per race during the season. That's pretty good for a sport that used to count viewers in the thousands less than ten years ago. US fans, who discovered the sport and grew with it as shows like Netflix's (NFLX) 'Drive to Survive' brought drivers into viewers' living rooms, have become a coveted group to market. That's both for the sport, which is owned by Liberty Media (FWONK), and the many brands that have now signed on as sponsors. '[The F1] fanbase across the world is over 800 million; fanbase in the US is 50 million. But the really important thing is doubling year on year,' said James Vowles, the head of Williams F1 and a former longtime Mercedes team exec. 'So great trajectory commercially, and if we look at all of the partners and sponsors that we have, a third of them are from the US, which just tells you how important it is.' Moviegoers, from the hardcore F1 fans to those who just want to see Brad Pitt drive a race car, will be most impressed by how close the filmmakers were to the sport in capturing the action. 'It's not a documentary, but it is authentic to us as a sport,' Vowles said. '[Producer] Jerry [Bruckheimer], [director] Joe [Kosinski], and the team were really, really impressive at integrating themselves across [the last two seasons], such that as far as I went, we had an 11th team alongside us. It was really seamless in terms of integration.' The F1 movie team had its own F1 race cars, fictional team personnel, and even pit setups to replicate the 11th team on the real F1 grid. Apple created special cameras that were embedded in the race cars to capture all the action. The realism is an important aspect of the movie, and portraying it effectively is good for the brand, Vowles said. 'I think what we've done really well, and it's a combination of Liberty, combination of Netflix and I think the Formula 1 film as well, is actually portraying how much of a team sport it is, how much we got 1000 people behind the scenes working every hour they can to develop the car, every single race to be different,' Vowles said. Plenty of large US multinational companies have bought into the F1 story via team sponsorships —including Oracle (ORCL), Visa (V), Walmart (WMT), HP (HPQ), and Alphabet's Google (GOOG) among them. Williams counts US brands like Duracell batteries (BRK-B), Michelob Ultra beer (BUD), and crypto exchange Kraken ( among others, as sponsors, and US-based investment firm Dorilton Capital is Williams's majority owner. Now Williams itself would like to see more brands — US or otherwise — join its sponsorship ranks. Title sponsorships, like Williams' Atlassian deal, can for the most successful teams result in $20 million or more in revenue. Williams had a strong 2024, but has had mixed results this year, sitting fifth in the team standings. Poor results mean less shared revenue, which in 2024 was split among the teams from a pool of $1.23 billion, with the higher-performing teams getting more money. Poor results also mean less money from sponsors. There's also the concern that the sport of F1 has been stretched too far in the US, with newer fans harder to come by. ESPN has reportedly opted out of its TV rights deal with F1, with Liberty Media seeking a new deal worth upwards of $150 million per season, nearly double the current TV deal. Streamers like Netflix, Amazon, and Apple may step in, betting on future growth. As for Vowles, who inked a new deal to run the team just last week, he believes Williams is a 'sleeping giant" in F1 despite this year's struggles, citing the team's winning history of nine world championships and seven drivers championships, new investments, and strong drivers like Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon. Whether Williams, now competing in its 48th season, can get back to its winning ways is an open question. The hope is that Brad Pitt's aging racer seeking redemption in "F1: The Movie" can lend a hand. Pras Subramanian is the lead auto reporter for Yahoo Finance. You can follow him on X and on Instagram. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
