Brad Pitt Says F1 Drivers Face Harsher Spotlight Than Hollywood Stars
Brad Pitt Says F1 Drivers Face Harsher Spotlight Than Hollywood Stars originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Brad Pitt knows a thing or two about life in the spotlight but even he admits that Formula 1 drivers might have it worse.
Advertisement
In a revealing interview with GQ Italia, the Hollywood icon reflected on what he's learned from spending time around the F1 paddock, particularly while filming the upcoming Formula 1 movie. The project stars Damson Idris as rookie driver Joshua Pearce, with Pitt playing his mentor. But it's what Pitt saw behind the scenes that truly surprised him.
'There's a sense of isolation,' Pitt said. 'Even in loneliness, when things seem to go in the wrong direction. It's an effort and a continuous confrontation with oneself to keep the spark alive.'
While actors are no strangers to pressure, Pitt believes Formula 1 drivers are under an even more brutal microscope.
Lewis Hamilton and Brad Pitt ahead of Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images
'They're in the spotlight like few others,' he explained. 'It is a sport followed by many people and many believe that they can do their own business just because they run fast on the highway. They take an absurd amount of criticism. It upsets me. They must have the thickest skin, even more than us.'
Advertisement
It's a powerful observation coming from one of the most recognized faces in entertainment. Drivers like Lewis Hamilton, who is also a co-producer on the film, have often spoken about the mental toll that comes with not only competing at the highest level of motorsport but doing so under constant public judgment.
As anticipation builds for Pitt's F1 movie, his comments offer a rare look at how much respect the actor has gained for those who live life at 200 mph, under pressure most can't begin to understand.
And if Pitt's words are any indication, this film might be the most authentic portrayal of the sport yet.
Advertisement
Related: Lewis Hamilton Told F1 Movie Star He Was 'Too Cool' to Be a Rookie
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on May 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Strategy Corner: Why Charles Leclerc's extra set of mediums could be an F1 Spanish GP wild card
The Spanish Grand Prix used to be a byword for dull, processional racing, but that has changed – if only a little – in recent years. That's because while the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is a known quantity, having been on the calendar since 1991, it's slightly less intensively known than it used to be, since it's no longer used as a venue for pre-season testing. The drivers could still lap it while blindfolded but the teams have rather less data than they would otherwise on tyre usage. Advertisement Another small but significant facet affecting strategy this weekend is the enforcement of a new technical directive clamping down on aero-elastic front wings through more stringent static load tests. So-called flexi-wings theoretically reduced drag, thereby improving top speed, but this was a lower-order effect. The main benefit was in mitigating some of the more severe balance shifts the current generation of ground-effect cars tend to experience mid-corner, generally moving from oversteer to understeer. Read Also: Why F1 flexi-wing changes failed to shake up the Spanish GP order Besides a small potential lap time gain through giving drivers more confidence in corners, the main benefit was to help with tyre degradation. That's why, given the lack of representative running time in race conditions, the response in the paddock to the effect of the new testing regime so far has been a general shrug of the shoulders. Advertisement As Pirelli's motorsport manager Mario Isola pointed out in his post-qualifying briefing, the average cornering loads are higher but the pole position lap was slower… if only by two tenths of a second. 'More load that is not translating in more performance,' he said. 'Then if you think about that, you understand what I'm saying…' A little bit of everything Pirelli tyres Pirelli tyres Erik Junius Erik Junius Since Barcelona has a relatively rough surface, a couple of decently long straights, and a broad variety of cornering speeds, plus two DRS zones – one of which includes a right-hand kink over a crest – it's highly demanding on tyres. While Pirelli has gone a step softer in its compound choices at many rounds this year, for Barcelona it has stuck with the hardest three in the family: C1, C2, C3. Advertisement Even so, the race is shaping up to be a two-stopper because the experience of practice has shown that the hard-compound tyre, the C1, isn't producing enough grip, so the cars have been sliding and inducing early degradation. It's also been difficult for teams to find a balance on the C1, so they have migrated towards the softer compounds, which makes a two-stop race more likely. The reason balance is such an issue is that teams generally set up their cars with a tendency to understeer in order to protect the rear tyres, which are usually more sensitive to thermal degradation. In Barcelona this presents a problem because the roughness of the surface, in combination with the high g-loadings from the fast corners, puts high stresses through the outside shoulder of the front-left tyre. So the teams are having to navigate the best compromise between wear at the front and degradation on both axles. 'Teams are trying to protect the rear axle, but then they over push the front and they can lose performance from both the axles basically,' said Pirelli chief engineer Simone Berra after Friday practice. 'We've seen that the C1 showed very low grip, so it's sliding. Also the balance is not good, it's disconnected, front and rear axle very disconnected, so you have mid-corner understeer, especially in low-speed corners, then you have rear axle sliding in high-speed corners with low support. Advertisement 'So basically teams with the C1 are struggling a little bit more to find a good compromise and a good balance. Also we've seen this on pace data for the C1, and that's why most of the teams focused on C2 and C3 in FP2 for the long runs, with better track conditions because of the track evolution, try to see where is the limit for the C2 and the C3 in terms of degradation. 'The degradation level is very similar between C2 and C3, you can apply different levels of management, but the pace is pretty similar. C3 has a higher grip level but a slightly higher degradation, C2 is slightly more consistent but lower level of grip. In the end they are quite close. 'So we do think that both the compounds will be good for the race.' How many stops, and when? Oscar Piastri, McLaren Oscar Piastri, McLaren Steven Tee / LAT Images via Getty Images Steven Tee / LAT Images via Getty Images Advertisement Last year all but one driver did two stops; Yuki Tsunoda and Sergio Perez were the outliers, doing three. The most popular strategy among the frontrunners was soft-medium-soft, with the first stop coming between laps 13 and 17. But this race was shaped by events on the opening lap, where Lando Norris (the polesitter) and Max Verstappen became so consumed with one another that George Russell nipped around the outside from fourth on the grid to seize the lead. This year the frontrunners only have one set of new soft tyres left – which they will likely use for the opening stint, because track position remains king at this circuit, and a good start is important. The first pitstop window will be as the race enters the early teens in terms of lap count; anyone stopping before it reaches double figures is in trouble, all other factors being equal. What's intriguing is what's happening behind McLaren's Norris and Oscar Piastri, the drivers on the front row. As with last year, one of the occupants of the second row – in this case Verstappen and Russell – could take advantage of those in front trying not to trip over one another. Although Russell's lead only lasted until the DRS was activated last year, the leading cars are closer together in terms of pace now. Advertisement Ferrari's Charles Leclerc is something of a wild card. He will start seventh, behind team-mate Lewis Hamilton, having run out of new softs in qualifying. But he has two sets of fresh mediums, which could come into play as those in front go soft-medium-soft, running used softs in the final stint. It's also possible that as the track continues to evolve and more rubber is laid down, the hitherto unfancied hard-compound tyre could also become a viable option in preference to the used soft. Pole sitter Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Lando Norris, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing Pole sitter Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Lando Norris, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Advertisement 'On paper,' said Isola, 'If I have only one set of hard, one set of medium, and the soft is degrading more than expected, ideally, you should do soft, hard, medium. 'Because the fuel load is higher in the middle of the race compared to the end of the race. So you save a little bit of the medium. 'But I heard some comments around that it is also possible to have soft, medium, hard. Because they believe that the track evolution is important and with a better track at the end of the race, the hard is sliding less, and so giving a better performance. 'Who is right? I don't know. But this is the idea.' What if it rains? The Jetstream is going to have to undergo a tumultuous change of direction overnight if the Spanish GP is to be affected by rain. Indeed, wet races at this venue are a distinct rarity. Advertisement It was gloomy, overcast and humid when the Circuit Barcelona-Catalunya hosted its first round of the world championship in September 1991 – note the vapour trails around the wings of Nigel Mansell's Williams and Ayrton Senna's McLaren in those evocative images of their duel in that race. But warm and sunny weather has predominated since the race moved to a late-spring slot in the calendar. There hasn't been a properly wet grand prix here in almost three decades – but it was a spectacular one. Miichael Schumacher, Ferrari, Gerhard Berger, Benetton Miichael Schumacher, Ferrari, Gerhard Berger, Benetton Motorsport Images Motorsport Images In 1996 the Williams-Renault team had the quickest car on the grid, among the best to have flowed from Adrian Newey's pen – but eventual champion Damon Hill was an early casualty, spinning off after starting from pole position. Advertisement In contrast to the Williams, Ferrari's F310 wasn't designer John Barnard's best work but Michael Schumacher was hitting peak form and drove one of the finest races of his life, humbling the competition to win by 45s from Benetton's Jean Alesi. Read Also: Lewis Hamilton slams F1 Spanish GP flexi-wing changes as "a waste of money" To read more articles visit our website.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Valerie Mahaffey, Emmy-winning 'Northern Exposure' star and 'Young Sheldon' actress, dies at 71
Valerie Mahaffey, the actress best known for her roles on Northern Exposure and Young Sheldon, has died. A representative for the actress confirmed her death at the age of 71 to Entertainment Weekly on Saturday. Mahaffey's husband, actor and director Joseph Kell, mourned her death in a statement to EW. "I have lost the love of my life, and America has lost one of its most endearing actresses," he said. "She will be missed." Mahaffey's daughter, actress Alice Ziolkoski, said her mother had been battling cancer in a tribute to her on Instagram. "Don't really have the words to say right now. Cancer sucks," she wrote. "I'll look for you in all the fun moments of life. I know that's where you'll be💕🪽. I know we'll see each other again someday. I love you infinity much." The actress' former manager, Scott Howard, also remembered Mahaffey in a statement to EW. "I always liked Valerie very much, and only have the nicest things to say about her and her family," he wrote. "She was a lovely woman and wonderful actor, filled with empowerment, strength, and resilience." In a career that spanned six decades, Mahaffey landed a variety of supporting performances across television and film. She won an Emmy for her five-episode stint on the 1990s comedy-drama Northern Exposure playing wealthy hypochondriac Eve, and also portrayed Alma Hodge on nine episodes of Desperate Housewives. Her best-known recent project was Young Sheldon, on which she played Victoria MacElroy, Sheldon's homeroom and English teacher. Born in Indonesia in 1953 to a Canadian mother and an American father, Mahaffey earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of Texas at Austin and made her debut on Broadway as Catherine Howard in the Richard Rodgers musical Rex in 1976. The following year, she made her screen debut in the TV movie Tell Me My Name. The actress' second credited screen role came on the NBC soap opera The Doctors. She portrayed Ashley Bennett for over 100 episodes between 1979 and 1981, and earned a Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. In 1986, Mahaffey starred alongside Susan Sarandon and Kristy McNichol in the TV movie Women of Valor, and also appeared in every episode of the soap-spoof miniseries Fresno, which also starred Carol Burnett, Dabney Coleman, Teri Garr, and Charles Grodin. She spent the next several years making one-off appearances on shows like Newhart, Quantum Leap, and Cheers, and also played D.A. Barbara August in two 1989 Perry Mason TV movies. Mahaffey also played Patrice, the ex-girlfriend of Jason Alexander's George Costanza in the 1991 Seinfeld episode "The Truth." In it, Patrice demands that George explain why he broke up with her, and George admits that he's put off by her pretentious pronunciation patterns. The same year, Mahaffey joined Northern Exposure as Eve, the wife of master chef Adam (Adam Arkin). The role earned Mahaffey an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 1992. Mahaffey was also a cast member on the short-lived political sitcom The Powers That Be from 1992 to 1993. Created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman before they created Friends, the show also starred John Forsythe, Holland Taylor, David Hyde Pierce, and a young Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The actress scored recurring roles on other '90s shows, including ER, The Client, and Wings. Around the same time, she played supporting roles in a handful of films, including the Tim Allen comedy Jungle 2 Jungle and the political comedy National Lampoon's Senior Trip, which was also Jeremy Renner's movie debut. In the 2000s, Mahaffey appeared in episodes of The West Wing, Frasier, CSI, Private Practice, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and numerous other shows. She also appeared in 2003's Seabiscuit and had a recurring role on Showtime's United States of Tara. However, her best-known role of the 2000s was on Desperate Housewives, on which she portrayed Alma Hodge, the first wife of Kyle MacLachlan's Orson Hodge, for eight episodes on the show's third season before dying after falling out a window. She returned in season 8 in 2012 as a ghost. In the 2010s, the actress acted in episodes of shows like Hannah Montana, Grey's Anatomy, The Mindy Project, Workaholics, and Raising Hope. She had multi-episode runs on numerous other series, including Glee, Hart of Dixie, Devious Maids, and The Man in the High Castle. She also played Katie Holmes' mother in the Adam Sandler vehicle Jack and Jill and acted opposite Tom Hanks in Clint Eastwood's biopic final slate of projects included Dead to Me, on which she played Christina Applegate's character's mother-in-law, and Big Sky, on which she played the mother of Brian Geraghty's character. She also starred in the film French Exit, in which she portrayed the neighbor of Michelle Pfeiffer's character, and earned an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Supporting Female. Mahaffey is survived by her husband and her daughter. Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
Fox News
2 hours ago
- Fox News
Amber Heard
Amber Heard has acted in many television shows and movies including 'Aquaman,' and 'Criminal Minds.' Heard also had a lot of press around her very public relationship with now ex-husband, Johnny Depp. She was born on April 22, 1986, in Austin, Texas to parents Paige and David Heard. Heard, whose net worth is now $-6 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth losing the defamation trial to Depp, got her film debut in the movie, 'Friday Night Lights' in 2004. After that movie, she went on to work in many other films like 'North Country,' 'All the Boys Love Mandy Lane,' 'Pineapple Express' and 'Zombieland.' She also had various television appearances in shows like 'The O.C,' 'Criminal Minds,' 'Californication' and 'Hidden Palms.' Some other films Heard was in during the earlier stages of her career were 'The Stepfather,' 'The Ward,' 'Drive Angry,' 'Syrup,' and '3 Days to Kill.' In 2011, Heard played Chenault in 'The Rum Diary.' She and Depp met during the filming of the movie. They were both in relationships at the time, but eventually started dating in 2012. The pair got married in 2015, but got divorced two years later. They have been in a huge legal battle since Heard wrote an op-ed for The Washington Post, implying that she was abused by Depp. After a six week trial in Fairfax, Virginia that millions tuned in to watch, the jury found that Heard had defamed Depp and awarded the actor $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive, which were reduced to $350,000 due to Virginia's law. Heard was awarded $2 million in compensatory damages due to the statements made by Depp's attorney Adam Waldman. Heard owes $10.35 million to Depp, an amount that her lawyers have said she cannot afford to pay. Heard and her team have tried to appeal, but have been unsuccessful in their endeavors. One big role that the actress is known for is playing Mera, in 'Aquaman' with Jason Mamoa. She also plays the character in the 2017 'Justice League' and in 'Zack Snyder's Justice League.' She is in the 'Aquaman' sequel, 'Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom' that is set to come out in 2023, even though her appearance in the "Aquaman" sequel has became controversial after the legal situation with her and Depp. Even though Depp was Heard's most public relationship, she has also been connected with painter and photographer Tasya van Ree in 2008, model Cara Delevingne, Tesla founder and billionaire Elon musk on and off from 2016-2018 and art dealer Vito Schnabel. She does however have a a daughter Oonagh Paige Heard, who was born via surrogate April 8, 2021.
