Lewis Hamilton makes major admission about strikes

Lewis Hamilton has endured difficult seasons in 2022 and 2023, not winning a race since 2021.

Lewis Hamilton has admitted that the upcoming Formula 1-themed move starring Brad Pitt will now not reach cinemas until the start of 2025 at the earliest, following the recent strikes.

The seven-time World Champion is one of the film’s producers and has previously spoken of his excitement about the upcoming movie.

Significant filming took place during the 2023 British Grand Prix, with Pitt having taken to the Silverstone International Circuit using a modified Formula 2 car.

However, little filming has taken place since, as a result of the strikes undertaken by members of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.

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Filming at the recent Las Vegas Grand Prix was scrapped due to the strikes, which have finally concluded after a deal was reached with studios earlier this week.

Because of so much of the scheduled filming having been cancelled, the release of the movie has been delayed due to filming needing to take place next year.

Hamilton admitted, as reported by RaceFans.net, that the film would be completed “probably early 2025, I would imagine, with the post-work they’d have to do. So it’s been delayed a lot.”

Reportedly, a significant amount of the film is also needing to be re-shot, due to a change in sponsorship.

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“The sponsorships have all changed, we can no longer use a large amount of the scenes we have shot,” a Junior executive working on the film told Business F1 magazine.

Supposedly, the footage which is now irrelevant cost £14 million to film, with no official reason having been given as to why so much has been scrapped.

Hamilton has expressed his hope that the film will prove to be more impactful that Netflix hit ‘Drive to Survive’, which has played a significant role in the boom being experienced in North America.

Without the docuseries, F1 wouldn’t be anywhere near as large as it is now across the pond, with it now just a matter of waiting to see if the movie has the same impact.

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“I’ve been really incredibly grateful to them,” Hamilton said of the production team earlier this year, as reported by The Express.

“I don’t know if this would have been possible 10-plus years ago when the old management was in place. They wouldn’t have perhaps seen this as an important step in terms of the sport’s growth.

“But we’ve already seen the great work and impact of the Netflix show, and I think this will take it to new heights beyond that.”