It was nervy times for Lewis Hamilton as the drivers received their first look at the upcoming F1 movie.

Though that did not include Max Verstappen, who clarified that Formula 1 was already “well aware” that he would not be present for the special screening of the film on Wednesday ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix, with Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll the other absentee.

Lewis Hamilton wanted honest F1 movie feedback

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

Anticipation is building for the release of the F1 movie – starring Brad Pitt – on June 25 internationally and June 27 in the United States, with seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton having served as a co-producer.

And on the eve of the Monaco Grand Prix race weekend, drivers, team bosses and special guests were treated to a private screening of the film on Wednesday evening.

“I’ve got all the drivers are there. I was sat in the middle and I was nervous,” Hamilton reacted when speaking to the media, including PlanetF1.com. “I was like, ‘Oh God, everyone’s seen it for the first time’.

“And it was great to look around and see some of the reactions from particularly the drivers. I really care what the drivers think, and I wanted them to think highly of it.

“And I messaged them afterwards, you know, like, ‘Welcome your honest opinions about it.’ Because for sure, there’s parts where you’re like, ‘Hey, the timing may be off on a strategy stop’, or whatever it might be.

“But I think the great thing is, the sound is great, the image is incredible. It’s something that has never been done in Formula 1 before, so something I’m really proud of.”

The reception has been positive from Hamilton’s F1 peers, as he reflected on the experience of being part of this movie, a gamechanger for the fact that filming took place within the real-life Formula 1 action.

“For me, it was a really, really interesting, and like an incredible experience to firstly have the opportunity to work with Joe [Kosinski, director] and Jerry [Bruckheimer, producer] and to learn from them, to see what goes on into making a movie, the treatment from the first script, which was like the first 30 pages, to then see it build into a story.

“And then get to work with the writer and Joe on trying to make sure it would be as authentic as it was.”

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Verstappen fully intends to watch the F1 movie once it comes out, but had already informed Formula One Management that he would not be at the special screening, as his alter ego Franz Hermann – the pseudonym he used for a recent Nurburgring Nordschleife GT outing – returned on Wednesday via a Twitch stream with Team Redline.

“I notified FOM about that, so they were well aware that I wasn’t attending,” Verstappen told the media, including PlanetF1.com.

“I wanted to spend more private time – because it is private time at the end of the day, the evening also.

“I think it’s coming out on June 27 [US release date] so I’ll download it on Apple.

“Of course I get it. There was the opportunity to watch it, but if I watch it now or in three or four weeks, that’s fine as well.

“I heard good stuff from the movie, so I’m sure that it’s going to be exciting.”

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