Brad Pitt Has a Lesson for Formula 1's Green Makeover
F1: The Movie, the Brad Pitt/Formula 1 crossover currently in cinemas, illustrates this contradiction perfectly. Pitt used to appear as romantic leads, sword-and-sandals heroes, comedy turns and in art-film roles. As he's aged into his sixties, that range has been boiled down to its original essence, leaving him typecast as a pretty, and increasingly rugged, maverick. Audiences don't seem to mind. F1: The Movie saw the biggest US opening for a Pitt vehicle since 2013's World War Z.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
5 hours ago
- New York Post
Lewis Hamilton makes startling claim after F1 disaster
Lewis Hamilton's suggestion for Ferrari after yet another disastrous qualifying session at the Hungarian Grand Prix on Saturday had nothing to do with the car. 'We probably need to change driver,' Hamilton told reporters at the Hungaroring outside of Budapest. Hamilton, who is in his first season with the Scuderia after over a decade driving for Mercedes, has struggled for much of the season. On Saturday, he was knocked out in Q2 and .25 seconds slower than his teammate, Charles Leclerc, who not only easily made Q3 but scored a shock pole position over McLaren. The seven-time world champion called himself 'absolutely useless' and said he 'drove terribly.' 'The team has no problem,' he said. 'You've seen the car's on pole.' Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari ahead of Practice 3 of the Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring circuit in Mogyorod near Budapest on August 2, 2025. Beata Zawrzel/ZUMA Press Wire / Hamilton has been out-qualified by his teammate 12 times in 17 sessions this season with an average pace deficit of .146 seconds, per the BBC, continuing a trend from last season, when he struggled against George Russell. While Ferrari has generally put forth a disappointing season, Hamilton doesn't have a grand prix podium this season — he won the sprint race in China — while Leclerc has five, including last week at Spa-Francorchamps. Ferrari's strategy was of little help to Hamilton on Saturday, as it mismanaged Q1 and used up two new sets of soft tires, forcing him to do his first Q2 run on a used set. 'We have to do a better job to not be exposed in Q1 and Q2, and the fact we had to use extra sets in Q1, it was not a good start to the session, and then you have one set for Q2,' Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur told The Race. Nevertheless, it continues what has so far been a mess of a season for Hamilton, who has struggled to adapt to Ferrari and consistently been behind his teammate. Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain steers his car during the third free practice at the Hungaroring racetrack in Mogyorod, Hungary, Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025, ahead of the Hungarian Formula One Grand Prix. AP The McLarens had dominated the field through all three practice sessions and the first two parts of qualifying, but a change in wind direction, humidity and temperature all played into Ferrari's hands. It's expected that Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, starting second and third, will quickly get past Leclerc in the race itself, but the potential for rain could shake things up further. 'In Q3 the conditions changed for everybody,' Leclerc told reporters. 'I basically just did a clean lap, which was a really good lap because those conditions were really difficult to get everything right, and I was really happy about the lap. 'It is probably the most surprising pole position I have ever done, so I'm very happy.'
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Hamilton feeling 'useless' after Hungarian GP qualifying flop
A crestfallen Lewis Hamilton declared himself "useless" after qualifying in 12th position for the Hungarian Grand Prix on Saturday as Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc surged to pole position. Seven-time world champion Hamilton exited the session in Q2 with his head down and his helmet on as the 40-year-old retreated to the team's motor home. "I'm useless," said the British driver. "Absolutely useless. The team has no problem. You've seen the car on pole so they probably need to change driver." But he was backed to bounce back by four-time champion Max Verstappen who himself ranted about his Red Bull car and team after struggling to line up eighth on the grid. "Looking at the whole weekend, I think we're happy to be in Q3 because I've been more outside the top 10 than in it –- so, yeah, it's been difficult this whole weekend," said the Dutch driver. "No grip, front and rear, and it was the same in qualifying so, for me, it was not really a shock. I just drove to what I already feel the whole weekend." The 27-year-old Dutchman added that Red Bull –- who had left a towel in his cockpit during a pitstop on Friday which led him to throw it out of the car, 24 hours after he had declared he was staying for 2026 -– did not yet understand the problems with the car. "No, clearly not," he said. "I mean, otherwise, of course, we would have changed it already, but somehow, this weekend, nothing seems to work." - 'Nothing works' - Last year, Verstappen said he had been quick enough to challenge for pole, but this season, "from lap one, it just felt off -- and we threw the car around a lot and nothing really gave a direction. "Now, it's just nothing works. You know, it's like just going around in circles and nothing gives you any kind of idea of what to do." Looking ahead to Sunday's race, he said: "There may be a few cars in front of me that I can maybe battle with a little bit and, of course, Lewis is still a bit further down the road which, I think, he shouldn't be there right? So, he will come through a bit." The two multiple champions, who battled so intensely in 2021 when Verstappen claimed his first title after a controversial victory in the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, appear to have found a rapprochement and mutual respect. But Hamilton's heart-on-sleeve vulnerability as he seeks his first Ferrari podium after 13 races this year may soon become a sad ending story if he cannot sort out his qualifying woes. As the record-holder of nine poles and a record eight wins at the Hungaroring, he has to produce a rousing reminder of his best racing days on Sunday, as Verstappen expects. str/ea/jc
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
I'm just useless, says Hamilton after team-mate's pole
Hungarian Grand Prix Venue: Hungaroring Dates: 1-3 August Race start: 14:00 BST on Sunday Coverage: Live commentary of practice and qualifying on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2 with race on BBC Radio 5 Live; live text updates on BBC Sport website and app Lewis Hamilton said he was "just useless" after qualifying 12th for the Hungarian Grand Prix while his Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc took pole position. Hamilton failed to progress beyond the second qualifying session after struggling for pace compared to Leclerc all weekend. Leclerc took Ferrari's first grand prix pole position of the year, although Hamilton won the Chinese Grand Prix sprint race from pole at the second event of the season. A downcast Hamilton said: "I drove terribly. It is what it is." He added: "I'm just useless," and said his lack of pace was "nothing to do with the car". In Hungary, Hamilton was 0.247secs slower than Leclerc in the second part of qualifying, in which he was knocked out and the Monegasque was sixth fastest. Hamilton is 12-5 down to Leclerc on their qualifying head-to-head this year, at an average pace difference of 0.146 seconds. His form on Saturdays in 2025 continues the struggles in qualifying Hamilton had against George Russell in his final year at Mercedes last season. Even so, his result in Hungary bucks a trend in which he has generally been much closer to Leclerc since the seventh race of the season. Belgium last weekend, in which he was knocked out in the first session in qualifying for both the sprint and the grand prix after making mistakes, had been an exception to that run. Although clearly frustrated by his own performance, Hamilton congratulated Leclerc on his pole. "It's amazing for the team that the car is capable of being on pole," the seven-time champion said, "so big congrats to Charles." Leclerc came into the weekend talking about how he had never gelled with the Hungaroring during his career, but he ends Saturday with arguably the most surprising and unexpected pole position of the year. Leclerc had been third fastest behind the McLarens in all three practice sessions, but the world champions appeared out of reach. However, a change in wind direction between the second and final parts of qualifying threw McLaren off their game and opened the door for Leclerc, who beat championship leader Oscar Piastri to pole with Lando Norris third. Leclerc said he "didn't understand" because the car felt bad throughout qualifying. But he and the McLaren drivers put the shift in competitiveness down to a change in weather conditions, when not only did the wind change direction by 180 degrees, but the strength of the wind, the temperature and humidity level all changed. "In Q3, the conditions changed for everybody," Leclerc said. "I basically just did a clean lap, which was a really good lap because those conditions were really difficult to get everything right, and I was really happy about the lap. "It is probably the most surprising pole position I have ever done, so I'm very happy." Leclerc said that revisions to the car at the last race in Belgium had helped his confidence when pushing to the limit over one qualifying lap. Ferrari introduced a new rear suspension which in addition to being aimed at allowing them to run the car lower without risking damaging the floor to the extent that car failed its post-race legality tests was also intended to improve driveability when combined with a new floor introduced three races ago in Austria. Leclerc said: "The upgrade in Spa definitely helped me to extract a little bit more. "Before Spa, I had to set up the car in a very, very extreme way early on in the season to try and extract something out of this car in qualifying. "It was making the car very, very unpredictable and very difficult whenever you go for the 0.1-0.15secs in Q3. It was extremely difficult to get it right. And if you just overstepped a little bit the limits of that previous car, then you will pay the price a lot. "Whereas with this car, you can play a little bit more with the limits, and if you go over the limits a little bit, you just don't lose as much. So the car is more predictable, which is a good thing." Spectacular Leclerc takes surprise Hungarian Grand Prix pole Verstappen says he will race with Red Bull in 2026 Andrew Benson Q&A: Send us your questions Can Leclerc beat the McLarens to win? Beating the McLarens to pole position is one thing, winning the race is another, as McLaren's race pace has been the team's strongest suit this year. Leclerc said: "There is some rain around and if it's wet it's easier to overtake but it is always better to be starting first, especially on this track." Piastri, who heads into the race 16 points ahead of Norris in the championship, described the result of qualifying as "bizarre and somewhat frustrating". But he said he was "pretty confident" he could win from second on the grid, as he did last year, when Norris was on pole. "Our pace has been good," Piastri said. "But Charles has been quick all weekend in certain sessions. So it is a very difficult track to overtake on. And yeah, it's not going to be the easiest place to try and regain the lead." Norris said: "There could be some rain, which normally makes things more interesting. But we always have, at least in the race, a bit more of an advantage. "But our main competitor over the last four or five races has been Charles, and it's been the Ferrari. So if there was anyone else going to be on pole today, it was going to be Charles. And if there's anyone that's going to make our life tough tomorrow, it's going to be the same guy. "So, yeah, we'll see. It's a long race. Things can happen and hopefully the rain can be on our side, maybe."
