NEED TO KNOW
F1 producer Jerry Bruckheimer tells PEOPLE that the movie’s star Brad Pitt would have described his final day filming racing scenes as “his unhappiest day because he wanted to drive some more”Pitt starred as a former Formula One racer who takes an opportunity to race for a struggling F1 team in the movie, which also starred Damson Idris, Kerry Condon and Javier Bardem, among others”We let [Pitt] do a few more laps at the end of the last take just because I knew he loved it,” director Joseph Kosinski also tells PEOPLE
Jerry Bruckheimer has a fond memory of Brad Pitt‘s last day racing on the track for his movie F1, but he thinks Pitt doesn’t remember it as happily.
When Bruckheimer, 82, spoke with PEOPLE at a special screening of Apple’s F1 movie at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles on Oct. 12, the legendary movie producer refers to Pitt’s last day of racing for the film in the United Arab Emirates’ Abu Dhabi as “the happiest day of my life” due to the safety concerns involved with having Pitt, 61, race real cars for the film.
“When Brad climbed onto the car, it was his last run. He would say it was his unhappiest day because he wanted to drive some more,” Bruckheimer says.
Pitt found one of the biggest hits of his career with F1, the movie made with cooperation from Formula One racing, in which he portrays a grizzled racing veteran named Sonny Hayes who is granted an opportunity to race for the fictional team APXGP in hopes of saving their season. In doing so, Sonny mentors a talented but inexperienced rookie named Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris) and brings an unconventional style of racing to the track.
Brad Pitt in F1.
Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures/Apple Original Films
When the movie’s director Joseph Kosinski spoke with PEOPLE on Oct. 12, he says he “felt really good with [Pitt’s] performance out on the track and knew he had control of the car” throughout the movie’s production, which took place during several real-life Formula One events.
“So I never felt like we were being irresponsible. I never feel like they were out of control,” Kosinski adds of Pitt’s affinity for racing. “We had an amazing team around them, and he was really sad to get out of the car on the last day. That was for him. He really misses it.”
“I think it was [emotional],” he says. “We let him do a a few more laps at the end of the last take just because I knew he loved it. I think it was emotional for him to say goodbye to this character because he really loved playing him.”
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Damson Idris and Brad Pitt in ‘F1’.
Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures / Apple Original Films
Given the movie’s standout success at the box office, Kosinski, 51, also admits he “would love to see what adventures Sonny Hayes is going on to next, and I think the audience would too.”
“So we’re actually gonna start talking about that very soon, start kind of coming up with, ‘What could that next chapter of his story be?’ ” he teases.
F1 will make its global streaming debut on Apple TV on Dec. 12.