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Brad Pitt has been spotted at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix while filming F1, a movie based on the sport.
In the film, which is set for release in June, Pitt plays Sonny Hayes, a 1990s driver who was forced into retirement after a devastating crash. He is later convinced to return to the sport to mentor rookie Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris) for the fictional team Apex Grand Prix.
The stellar cast includes Javier Bardem, Sarah Niles, Kerry Condon and Tobias Menzies. Joseph Kosinski is directing the film, with seven-time F1 champion Sir Lewis Hamilton and Jerry Bruckheimer among the producers.
Blending reality with fiction, the project features drivers and team members from all 10 F1 teams. Real-life stars like Hamilton, Max Verstappen, Carlos Sainz Jr, Sergio Perez and Fernando Alonso will appear as themselves.
In Abu Dhabi, Pitt was photographed wearing a white racing jumpsuit, posing with various teams and filming scenes alongside Idris. The pair were also spotted mingling with Ferrari drivers Sainz and Charles Leclerc. In a playful moment, Sainz shared a group selfie featuring Pitt, Idris, Leclerc and the Ferrari team, captioned: “Look who photobombed our team pic.”
Although the first teaser trailer for F1 aired in July, Pitt continues to film at real-life racing events, most recently during the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Bruckheimer revealed to People in May that Pitt underwent extensive training for his role, spending four to five months learning to drive the race cars featured in the film.
"He's an amazing driver," Bruckheimer said. "In fact, some of the F1 drivers said he's a natural athlete. He really is. He's amazing in that car."
This is not the first time Pitt has filmed in Abu Dhabi. In 2015, he filmed parts of War Machine. The film was shot extensively in both Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah over four weeks.
The film features a number of UAE locations doubling as Afghan scenery, including a mosque in Abu Dhabi and the old part of Ras Al Khaimah masquerading as a village.
