Hollywood producers have hailed Lewis Hamilton’s influence on Brad Pitt’s F1 film, even if they dislike the growing cost of his comments.

Mercedes the Hamilton star is executive producer on release in 2025, which is shaping up to be one of the most expensive films ever made.

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Reports claim the budget exceeded $300 million, about $100 million more than the Titanic cost in 1997.

F1 producer Jerry Bruckheimer disputed the price, but acknowledged that the contribution of seven-time champion Hamilton had increased the costs.

The 81-year-old reaffirmed the production of Apple studios placed a huge value on authenticity, which saw American actor Pitt given its own garage space at Silverstone between Ferrari and Mercedes.

Their fictional team was also allowed to drive a modified F2 car around the world. British Grand Prix circuitand double world champion Fernando Alonso confirmed he shot a scene.

“Lewis Hamilton saw some of it and gave us a critique of how drivers actually do various things,” Bruckheimer said during an appearance at Liberty Media’s investor day in New York.

“The level of detail he gave us, like at Silverstone in Turn 3, you’re in second gear, and he could hear with his ear that we (Brad Pitt) were in third gear.

“So that’s the kind of thing he brings to the movie, and we just can’t imagine what goes into what a driver does, what the sport brings to the audience, and he gives it to us.

“Sometimes we don’t like to hear some of the things he says, because it costs us more money to fix things, but we all agree.”

Hamilton’s advice went beyond the car: he also had notes for the two superstars leading the film.

Pitt will play the role of Sonny Hayes and British actor Damson Idris plays Joshua Pearce for their fictional team Apex Grand Prix.

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Bruckheimer added, “And also (Hamilton) said, ‘You know, it’s a little too easy for him (the actor playing the pilot),’ so we’re going to make it a little more difficult.”

“He said when he finishes a race, especially like in Singapore where it’s really hot, these guys can barely get out of the car, they’re so exhausted, they lose 10 pounds, and he said that he only had to lay down for five minutes before he could get up and do the press interviews he has to do. And it’s not just him, it’s all of them. »

“We are going to show what it takes to be an F1 driver. Everything he brought to this film, I can’t even express our thanks to him and to all the people in F1 who made it all possible.

“We want it to be great, and he certainly helps us.”

Unsurprisingly, Hamilton’s heavy involvement sparked the contribution of his Mercedes team, who created the unique vehicles used in the film.

The black and gold livery Pitt will wear in the film features Silver Arrow imagery – something which caused unease among paddock rivals Red Bull over how they would be portrayed as a result.

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Bruckheimer said: “What’s interesting is that since we teamed up with Mercedes, the other teams have said ‘wait a second, this movie is going to be about Mercedes and we’re going to get a bad image’.

“Red Bull said ‘we’re going to be the bad guys’.

“It took us three years to convince them that they weren’t going to be the bad guys and we finally got to a point where all the teams were really leaning on us to really help us.”